The Legend of Zelda: Urban Legacy
by TheNerdyNinja
Summary: The nation of Hyrule is not the prosperous kingdom it once was. The poor fight to survive on the streets, while polititians play games of deceit amongst themselves. But the goddesses are intervening once again. A young man named Link has appeared again.
1. Prologue

The thin man leapt from his motorcycle, unsheathing his sword halfway through a flip, using the extra momentum to slice the hellspawn he faced in half vertically. He landed behind its ravaged body, instantly sheathing his sword and stumbling into a run in an attempt to reach his motorcycle before it lost all momentum. His leather boots padded silently on the asphalt beneath him as he ran, leaping onto the motorcycle the moment before it would have tipped over, revving the throttle, steadying the motorcycle as inertia took effect. He risked a glance behind him—he was still being chased. They were closer now. He shouldn't have made that move, but the figure before him had appeared so quickly that attempting to draw his sword would have caused him to lose complete control.

He scanned the street for anything that could help him. A ramp, perhaps, or….

A narrow alley.

He made a sharp turn to the left, flying down the alleyway. It wouldn't stop them from coming, but it would at least forced them to thin out a bit, a maneuver that would slow them down. One that would give him just enough time to evade them.

He caused his motorcycle to swerve just a little bit as he sped through the passage, letting the tail hit a trash can, knocking it over. He grinned as he heard the clank behind him as it tipped. Anything to slow them down just that little bit more.

He made a sharp right turn at the end of the alley, checking behind him to make sure they were close enough to see. He went far enough that his engine would be too muffled to hear, then skidded around the block, heading the other direction. He moved slowly, keeping the roar of his motorcycle quiet enough to remain inconspicuous. Just another motorist, taking a leisurely drive through the city. Then, after he was sure he was in the clear, he cranked the engine to its full potential, dashing away into the night.

Nearing an hour later, he pulled into a garage at a small, run-down house. "He's back!" came an energetic young voice from inside. There was a scuffling noise, and the door opened. The man grinned sheepishly as the girl behind it stared at him.

"And just where have you been?" she demanded. She was about seventeen and stood at just over five feet tall, her blonde hair pulled back into two braids, a simple blue dress covering her. She had a tender, childlike face. However, when she was angry, her gentle blue eyes would transform into a glare that could easily cut iron in half.

The man pulled off his sword dark green trenchcoat. "It doesn't matter," he said, hanging them on a hook as he brushed past her into the house. "You're going to berate me anyway, so you might as well get it over with."

"Colin and I have both been worried sick. It's always like this when you go out. You never tell us where you're going, you always stay out too long, and you always come back hurt."

"Well, sis," he said, pulling off the long, green hat off of his dark blonde hair, "I'm fine today. No injuries, no incidents—"

"Is that why I could hear you coming from three miles away?"

He sighed. "Aryll…look." He pulled the glove off of his left hand. "You see this marking?" She nodded. "And do you know what it means?"

"No, I don't. You refuse to tell me."

He pulled the glove back on. "And you don't have to know either. The less you know, the safer you are. All you need to know is that what I'm doing is dangerous, but important. Very important. I wish I didn't have this burden, but I have to do this. I'm sorry. I just don't want you and Colin involved."

The man felt a small object barrel into his legs, grasping them firmly. He bent down and ruffled the small boy's hair. "Hey, Colin. You should be asleep, shouldn't you?"

The boy looked up, the remaining tears of a fresh cry in his eyes. He was a small thing, only six years old, "I was scared," he whimpered. "I was waiting to make sure you were okay."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm here, and I'm great. Come on, buddy. Time for you to go to bed." He looked up at the girl. "Aryll? Could you get him? I need to step out for a second. Get a bit of fresh air."

"Weren't you just—"

"Aryll."

She threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, be that way, then. Come on, Colin. Let's get some sleep."

The man shut the door quietly behind him as he stepped outside, sitting down on the front steps. He took a deep breath of the cool night air as he checked the time. Any second now.

As if on cue, a cloaked, hooded figure stepped out of the night. Right on time. The figure approached quickly, the black cloak billowing behind. As it came closer, two slender hands reached up and removed the hood, revealing his contact's face.

A woman's face looked up at him. It was gentle and fair, yet stern, blending to form an expression of dignity and power. Her dark brown hair was worn unadorned, save for two thick strands pulled into braids that dangled in front of her ears.

"Are you the man I hired?" she asked.

"Yes, you've come to the right place," he said. "I'll be your bodyguard."

She nodded. "Thank you. I explained the situation, did I not?"

"Barely, but I've got all I need to know for now. Right now, I have a question." He pulled off his left glove. "You've got one of these markings too, don't you, senator?" He held up the hand, displaying the marking on it. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw it. It was a triangle, consisting of three smaller, golden triangles.

She looked down at her own hands, covered by long, white gloves. "Well," she mused, "I would have never guessed I had chosen you. It would appear that we cannot escape the cycle. Fate has drawn the three of us together again."

"Three?" She nodded. "Who's the third?"

She looked up from her gloved hands. "He's the man you're protecting me from. Now, I think I already know it, but what is your name?"

"I don't know," the man said quietly. "My past is a complete mystery to me."

"What about the children? Your family?"

"Them?" He nodded back towards the house. "None of us are really related. We're all orphans who managed to pick each other up when we were down and get off the streets. They don't know my name."

"Well, you must identify yourself somehow. Even if you don't know your real name, you must have given yourself one, or gotten one from someone else. Give me that name."

The man looked up at her, staring into her eyes. "Link," he said with authority. "My name is Link."


	2. Legacy of the Goddesses

"Link," the woman repeated quietly. "Yes…yes, of course it is. And I assume you know who I am."

"Of course, Senator Zelda," Link said. "There are few who wouldn't recognize your face."

"So, you know nothing of your past, correct?"

"Yes," he said, not knowing where she was going with the statement.

"And yet you still pick the name Link. Well, this certainly does prove it's you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Link, let me…well, let me explain a few things. You've been seeing creatures. Creatures no one else can seem to see. Things that are just barely glimpsed on the edge of reality." He merely nodded, surprised she knew so much. "And you feel somehow called to combat them, as if driven by some greater force, as if you're called by the goddesses themselves."

He snorted. "The goddesses. Just a fairy tale to bring hope to the stupid."

The senator smirked. "How amusing. It appears that they've chosen an atheist. Link, what part of you can believe the goddesses don't exist? The mark on your hand—that's a piece of the Triforce, and you know it. Why would you be fighting imaginary demons if not for the goddesses themselves? How can you possibly think them fairy tales?"

"Have you seen this world?" he roared. "I had to pick myself off of the streets! I fight just to survive every day! Colin? The boy is seven years old, and he's already probably been through seen more than a posh senator like you will even hear about in your lifetime. And Aryll?" His hands balled into fists at the thought. "Aryll," he hissed through clenched teeth. "The things that that girl has had to do—the things she's had to go through just to make it from one day to the next…. And it's not just us. Look around you, senator. Hyrule is rotting. You yourself play a game of deceit, pretending that you're doing good for this nation. What the hell have you done for it?"

"We are working for the good of Hyrule!" she retorted.

"You're competing to see who can come up with the best lies to feed the people! Hyrule's problems are getting worse, not better! Don't ask me how I can call the goddesses lies. If they're out there, why aren't they doing anything?"

She reached out as he seethed and gently grabbed his hand, bringing it up. His eyes fell on the marking. "They are doing something, Link," she said gently. "They've sent you."

The statement hit him hard. He had never thought of it that way at all before. "You're the answer," she continued. "You, Link, are their talisman. Their arm. The mediator between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. You want this world to change? Fine. Go ahead and change it. You have the power."

He sat down on the front steps. "Who…who _are_ you?"

"I was getting to that, right before you spurned the very deities who chose you. You know who I am. Senator Zelda Hyrule. It's no coincidence that my surname is the same as the name of this nation. Back when Hyrule was still a monarchy, my family line sat on the throne for as long as the histories can remember. The line was never direct, and it would often be a nephew or cousin to take the throne, but it was always a Hyrule.

"Now, the king's first daughter was always named Zelda. It's a long story, and an interesting one, but unimportant. Now, I'm no princess, but my father was a direct descendant of the last king of Hyrule. He named me Zelda in honor of the tradition, although I'm sensing the influence of the goddesses behind it. You see, in the histories, there are three names that constantly surface. One is my own. Another, Link, is yours. The third is Ganondorf. Or Ganon."

"Or?"

"Well, it's a bit complicated. Ganondorf was simply a man. A man with power and influence, yes, but just a man. However, there was once a Link and a Zelda who, through their youthful inexperience, accidently allowed Ganondorf to access the Triforce. The goddesses managed to split it, and he ended up with the Triforce of Power. With it, he became all but invincible. He, in his defeat, transformed himself into an extremely powerful boar-like monster, called Ganon. Ganon was defeated, but he always managed to come back, sometimes as Ganon, sometimes as Ganondorf."

"And he's back again."

She hesitated. "Yes. His spirit has found a new body to inhabit. Senator Ganondorf is a new politician who has already managed to gain quite a bit of fame and support. If these politics are," she said, a hint of disdain in her voice, "just a game of lies, Ganondorf is winning every match. His popularity is…well, it's staggering. I'm the only one who seens to know his hidden agenda."

"Excuse me, senator," he said, holding up a hand to stop her, "but how exactly do you know so much."

"Were you not paying attention? The Triforce split. Ganondorf may have obtained the Triforce of Power, yes, but the Triforce of Courage went to you and your past incarnations. I, on the other hand, received the Triforce of Wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge directly from the goddesses is helpful, yes, but it's also a burden. You know what I mean, don't you? You have great courage and skill, but—"

"But I never asked for it. Yeah. I know." He shook his head. "Look, I thought I was going to be a bodyguard. I can't do what you're asking me to do. I have a family, you know."

"They'll be taken care of," she said. "An old nursemaid of mine will look after them. They'll be much better off now than they were before." He sighed. "You have no more excuses," she said. "You know that you're fighting to protect them. To protect all of Hyrule."

He sighed. "Yeah. So, then, I'm a reincarnation of this hero guy?"

She nodded. "It's uncanny the resemblance we bear to your predecessors…often down to the clothing we wear. It would explain why you wear that tacky windsock, even though it went out of style nearly a decade ago."

"You leave my hat out of this!"

"No, no, it rather suits you," she said, clearly trying to hold back a chuckle. Then she suddenly grew solemn. "Now, Link, listen. This is very important. Those creatures you've been fighting—they're Ganondorf's minions. Moblins. They're not quite in this world yet, and you're the one holding them back. But as Ganondorf gains power, they'll become stronger. They'll break through into Hyrule once more. It will be difficult: as time goes on, he'll become more powerful and we'll be able to devote less time to him in order to hold back his minions. We have to strike quickly, if possible. But you…you're not even remotely ready yet."

Link glowered at her. "I'm stronger than you think."

"And _he's_ stronger than _you_ think. You, no matter how strong you are, are just a man. Ganondorf is…well, he's something else. Something more than human…or perhaps something less."

"So how am I supposed to beat him, then?"

"With help," Zelda said. "You'll have quite a few allies who will help you along the way. You'll need a few things as well. A special sword, the only thing that can defeat Ganondorf. I hear you're well acquainted with a sword already," she added.

"Unimportant. Where do I find this sword?"

"That's the thing," she said. "I'm not sure myself. It's just a legend at this point, and it's an old one. The goddesses have not shown me its location. They have, however, shown me what you'll need to find it."

"And what's that?"

"You'll need a guide. Someone who can track down almost anything. Someone who stands a chance of helping you find it."

"And who, senator," he said, starting to get impatient, "would this guide happen to be."

"I don't know. But you will. Trust me. When you find your guide, you'll know."

"So where will I find whoever it is?"

"Again, I don't know."

"Senator, a little bit of that wisdom would come in really handy about now."

"The goddesses have shown me one vision," she said quickly. "It's probably not what you want to hear, but trust me, it's very valuable. They've shown me where this quest of yours will begin. The place you need to start from. Things should, hopefully, align themselves on their own from there."

Link nodded. "Okay. So. Where do I go?"

"I can guarantee you'll be a bit unsatisfied with the answer, but…you're going to a park."

"A park," he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yes. Kokiri Park."


	3. Legacy of Magic

"So," Link murmured. "Kokiri Park. Not all that far. It's just on the edge of Castle Town."

"Yes," Senator Zelda said, "it is. I've given you all I know now. The rest is up to you. But remember, the more you delay yourself, the more powerful Ganondorf becomes, and the more real his minions become." She turned and walked briskly away, disappearing once more into the night.

Link sighed and trudged back inside, head reeling. He pulled his boots off once inside, tossing them aside, and plopped down heavily on the couch.

"Your smoke breaks don't usually go so long," came Aryll's voice from behind him.

He swore under his breath and turned his head to face her. "What, you're still up?"

"You know I don't like you smoking around Colin," she said. "It's not healthy for him."

"Which is exactly why I do it outside," he said. "Look, I told you, I'm trying to quit."

"And that's why you went through an entire pack just now?"

He couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. "It was a rough day, okay?" She shook her head and scoffed in disgust. "Besides," he added, "that's not near enough time for a full pack."

"Whatever," she spat. "I'm going to bed."

"Aryll, wait."

She turned and glared at him, clearly annoyed. "What."

He tried to smile. "You know I love you and Colin, right? You two mean the world to me. That's why I'm doing all this, and why I'm not telling you about any of it. If you guys love me, just trust me, okay?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm trying, Link. I'm really trying." She turned again, softly shutting her bedroom door behind her.

Link sat on the couch a few hours, closing his eyes and just thinking, slipping into a half-conscious state. It was nearing dawn when he woke. He sat on the couch just a few minutes more, getting his thoughts in order before grabbing the pen and pad off of the table and jotting down a quick note. He sighed, set the pad down, and headed over to the fridge to pull out his Red Mushroom Energy Drink six-pack. He headed to his room, grabbing just a few small personal things before heading to the garage. On the way he stopped in the hallway. Aryll and Colin's rooms were right across from each other, and he reached out his arms to touch either door. "I love you guys," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Then he opened the garage door, grabbing his sword from the hook by the door, donning his coat and hat, and started up the engine, slowly pulling out of the garage before roaring down the street.

_Dear Aryll and Colin,_

_ I'm so sorry about all of this, and even sorrier I can't explain. I'm most sorry that I didn't even say goodbye. But I have to do what I'm doing. I'm doing it for both of you._

_ Some things came up, and I have to leave for a while. Don't worry, I didn't do anything wrong. But that doesn't mean that I'm okay. I hope you'll be safe, but I have to warn you that people might be coming for you. There's a woman coming to take care of you, though. Her name is Impa. She's really good, so I think you're in good hands. You'll probably have to leave the house, so start getting things ready now._

_ Again, I'm so sorry about this. I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish I could have said goodbye. But this is something I can't have you involved in._

_ With all my love,_

_ Link._

Lon Lon Automotive Services was an old business, and the building was close to downright dilapidated by this time. However, it wouldn't have stayed in business as long as it had if the service wasn't reliable. If your vehicle got dinged up, there was no better place to take it. Link had a long journey ahead of him, and he needed his bike to be in the best shape possible.

A gruff-looking man peered out at him from under the hood of a car as he pulled in. The man's dark brown beard was tied into two separate knots, and his hair was pulled back in a bandana. He stepped back from the car, his beater exposing a buff physique rippling with muscles. "Link," the man said, offering a hand. "Long time no see. What brings you down to the Ranch?"

"Hey, Talon," he said, accepting the man's firm handshake. "I need my bike tuned up," he said. "It's gotta be in the best shape it's ever been."

Talon Lon looked over at the bike. "Looks like it's in pretty good shape to me."

"It is in good shape. But it needs to be even better. Faster. More durable."

Talon headed back over to the car he was working on. "Well," he said, chuckling, "repair's my specialty. You're talking more about customization. Ingo, wrench." He glanced over at the thin, mustachioed man in a greasy t-shirt a few yards off. "No, you'll want to talk to Malon for that. Malon! Get over here!"

A fiery red-head popped out from around the corner, her outfit consisting almost entirely of tight, black leather, emphasizing her voluptuous figure. She moved a pair of welding goggles from her eyes to her forehead. "What's up, pops?" she asked, starting to hum as soon as she finished.

"You remember Link, right? He needs some upgrades for his bike."

She turned to face him. "Oh, him? Yeah, no problem."

"And could you quit that damn humming all the time?" Ingo yelled to her. "Seriously, you're driving me crazy."

She simply rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on, Link, let's get your bike inside."

Link pulled it in, getting an immediate reaction. "You've got a nice bike," she whistled. "Epona model. Good choice. You know, my mother favored this model. My first bike, was an Epona too. It's real nice being able to work on one again." She reached over to the radio, clicking it on. "I hope you don't mind," she said as she started humming softly with the melody. "It helps me concentrate on my work." She looked at the bike again in amazement as Link gestured for her to go ahead. "Wow. She's got a real nice body." She turned and winked. "Not unlike yourself."

"I'm flattered," he replied, deadpan.

She pouted. "You need to loosen up. Relax a little bit. So, what exactly do you need done? She's in pretty good shape as is."

"She is," he agreed. "But not quite good enough. I need you to make her faster and more durable. She's gonna be real busy soon." He thought, then added, "and if you, you know, want to throw on weapons of some sort, that'd be great."

She raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't exactly sound legal," she said.

"So that's a no."

"Did I ever say that?" she asked, already grabbing her tools. "I think I could rig some spears on the front or something, yeah." She strutted over, her boots thudding quietly on the floor, and leaned in until her face was only inches from his. "You sure that bike's the only thing that needs servicing?"

"Positive," he said, gently pushing her back. "I'm on a deadline."

She shrugged defensively. "Okay, whatever you say. But hey, if you ever need to…get your engine running, well…you know where to find me."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, brushing past her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going for a walk in the park."

She shook her head and scoffed as she watched him leave. "Stiff," she muttered.

Kokiri Park wasn't even half a mile away, but it seemed like even less, due to the giant tree in the center of the park, dwarfing everything nearby. The tree truly was massive—on clear days, Link could see it from his house. When the weather was especially nice, he, Aryll, and Colin would go there for a picnic….

No. He couldn't think about them anymore. It would just slow them down.

As he got closer to the park, he notices a group of young people sitting in a circle around the tree, hands joined. They were all dressed in simple green clothes—tunics, if Link wasn't mistaken, with simple belts around their waists. A green-haired girl, probably not much older than Aryll, turned when he was still a distance off and stood, causing the circle to slowly come apart as the others stood to watch. She smiled, a look of peace and contentment on her face as he approached.

"So, you've arrived," she said. "We've been expecting you, Link."

He looked at her hesitantly. "I'm sorry, have…have we met?"

She took a deep breath, as if drawing energy from the air itself. "No, not until now. But the Great Deku Tree told us of you."

"The…." He trailed off, looking at the giant tree above him. "The tree told you. Really."

"You doubt us?" She smiled, looking around at the others, who started to chuckle. "Then how exactly did we know your name? How do we know that you're the legendary hero reincarnate?"

"Who are you?" he asked, bewildered. Only Zelda knew who he was, and she certainly wasn't about to tell anyone.

"Who I am depends on what you mean," the girl said, spreading her arms wide. "I am but one drop in the pool of spiritual energy that is Hyrule. I am one of the Children of Kokiri. I am a herald of love and peace, and a guardian of this park. I am one with the earth." She let her arms drop. "But as for my name…well, that's Saria."

"Are you my guide?" he asked.

"No," she said, "that role belongs to another. But do not worry; your guide will find you."

"Then why am I here?"

"We shouldn't trust him, Saria," said a boy close behind her. "He carries a sword. He brings death and destruction. He stands for everything we are against."

"Mido, hush," she snapped at him. "No, he is not a Child of Kokiri like we are. However, if all who are called were called to peace, who would arise in times of war? We can do great things, Mido, but we cannot do everything. Just as the Great Deku Tree calls us, the Goddesses have called him." She turned back to Link. "And now they both call us to help him."

"Excuse me, but I'd sort of like to know what all this is about," Link said, arms folded.

"Ah. Yes. You, Link, are here to learn about magic."

"Magic?" He said, puzzled. "I thought that magic had left Hyrule generations ago." "Not quite," Saria told him. "Fado," she said, turning to a smiling blonde boy, "lead the rest of the meditation for me, would you?" She stepped towards Link, her bare feet padding softly on the grass. Every movement she made was fluid and graceful, as if walking itself was a form of dance. "Come, Link. Walk with me."

"The Children of Kokiri have guarded the land that makes up this park for ages," she said as they broke from the group, "tending it to make sure that the magic does not die out. It was a difficult task, especially when the massive forest this place once was became merely a park. It is true that the magic that the land of Hyrule once had has faded, but 'faded' does not mean vanished.'" She reached out to a branch on a nearby wilted tree, slowly rubbing her hand along it. It flourished wherever she touched it, the brown, dry leaves becoming green again. By the time she reached the end of the branch, she had picked a fully grown apple. "As you can see, the magic is still very much here." She tossed him the red orb. "Hungry?"

"You said that you would teach me magic," he said, his mouth full of sweet, juicy fruit. "How do you teach something like that? I mean, wouldn't it take a while to learn?"

She shook her head. "It actually comes quite naturally once you realize that it's there. However, you will need a little help discovering it for the first time." She looked back at the dying tree, which had, by this time, been fully restored. "Makar, come on out."

There was a rustling, and something fell from the tree and landed of Saria's shoulder. Link looked closer to be sure he was seeing what he thought he was. It was a small creature, about the size of his hand, whose round body was made completely out of bark. A leaf covered most of its body, the holes in the leaf forming a face.

"This is Makar," Saria told him. "He's a Korok—a sprite created by the Great Deku Tree to aid the Children of the Kokiri. We all have an aide. Makar here is mine."

The face-hole shifted to a nervous smile, and the tiny thing's body shook.

"Makar is simply animated bark and leafs. He is a creature made almost entirely of magic. Here, Link, hold out your hand."

Link held out his hand, and the Korok jumped from Saria's shoulder, whipping out a leaf and gliding over into Link's hand with it. It jumped around a bit more in greeting, its bark making a rattling noise as it moved, and then it produced a few more leafs and twigs, furiously reshaping them.

Link looked up at Saria. "It's amazing," he said.

Saria nodded back at the sprite. "Watch."

The sprite worked with the leaf and bark in ways Link would not have thought possible. Solid wood became flexible, and grass solidified. When the Korok had finished, he held a small stringed instrument that resembled a cello.

Link was floored. "Wow, that's…that's incredible. I…wow."

Saria stepped closer and leaned on him, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, placing the index finger on her other hand on his lips. "Shh," she whispered, rotating the finger so it was pointing at Makar. "Listen."

The Korok started fiddling with a twig bow, weaving a song filled with energy and life. As he played, Link felt that same energy and life fill his body, filling him with power he had never experienced before. He had been living before, yes, but now he was _alive._ The song filled his entire being, lifting his consciousness out of this world and into a world beyond—a world of magic. He felt like he was floating. Like he could fly.

"Link," came Saria's slightly panicked voice, snapping him back into reality. He was lying on the ground. He couldn't remember when that had happened.

"What…what was that?" he asked, awed.

"Music is one of the strongest forms of magic," Saria said. "And coming from a magical being…I'm sorry, Link, that was probably too much."

"No! No, no, it…well, yes, it was too much, but it was too much in a _good_ way," he said. He rolled over, holding his hand above the ground, focusing on a single blade of grass, directing energy into it until it grew into a small flower, which he picked and handed to Saria. "For the apple," he said. "And for what Makar did. I think I understand now."

She looked at the flower, which had already wilted in her hand. "Well, it's…that's actually still really good for a first try. I'm impressed. You will, naturally, gain more magical prowess as you journey. Of course, creation is harder than destruction or protection, which you'll need more of. Even so, you're still a beginner, so you'll probably need talismans of some sort to aid you."

He nodded. "Thank you. You've been a great help already. I can see why I was supposed to start here." He turned to go.

"Wait," she called. He turned, watching her shape a piece of bark with her own hands. "The world is a fierce place," she said, worried. "Especially with your quest. There will be all sorts of evil forces after you. It's dangerous to go alone." She extended her hands. In them was a small, wooden egg-shaped flute. "Take this. It's a Fairy Ocarina. There's magic in this wood. Learn the right songs, and perhaps you'll find it a great help. Oh, hey, here's one. Many people will be able to recognize you're a friend of the Great Deku Tree and the Children of Kokiri if they hear this." She snatched the ocarina back quickly, playing a jaunty, upbeat tune.

"That's…really catchy," Link mused.

"You try."

It was a simple song, and it only took Link about a minute to master it. "Thanks again," he said. "But I really have to go now. Goodbye, Saria, and thanks for all the help." He turned and walked off, ocarina in his pocket. He found himself humming the tune he had learned before he had left the park. "Oh, great," he grumbled to himself. "This song's gonna be stuck in my head forever now."


	4. Legacy of Opression

Ganondorf was a well-built man, tall, with a fiery red beard and dark tan skin. His red eyes were unnerving to some, but to most, they were more than offset by his charming personality and immense charisma. To some, Ambassador Zant included, the eyes actually gained him more favor. They held power, those eyes. The fire of ambition burned behind them. This, they said, is a man who can get things done.

Quite unlike Zant himself. Zant was a tall but thin man, completely bald, with extremely pale skin. The immense differences in their appearance were for good reason, he supposed. After all, they came from different worlds: Ganondorf from the hot Gerudo Desert on the edge of Hyrule, and he from the far-off Twilight Realm. The former a land of heat and sun, the latter one of cool and darkness. However, despite their difference in background, it didn't mean that they couldn't get along. After all, they had a lot in common as well.

Zant, dressed in the long ceremonial robes of the Twilight Realm took a deep breath before knocking on the Senator's office door. He had been so impressed with the man, and now that he finally got to meet in person—and privately at that—he found himself rather nervous.

"Ah, Ambassador Zant," came a voice from the other side. "Please, come in."

Zant opened the door and stepped inside. Ganondorf sat behind a sturdy mahogany desk in a pinstripe suit, black gloves over his hands. "Please," he said, gesturing to the seat across from him, "sit." As soon as the ambassador was seated, he continued. "I've been wanting to meet with you for such a long time," he said. "I'm so glad you could take some time out of your busy schedule while you were down in Hyrule to visit me."

"To be frank, Senator," the thin man replied, "I'm surprised that you'd want to meet with me at all. I'm not all that special. I control a small realm. Unlike you, up-and-coming senator in the greatest, most prosperous empire in the land. Even a land as insignificant as mine has heard of you."

Ganondorf chuckled. "Well, Hyrule's hardly as great or prosperous as it used to be. But that's what I'd like to talk to you about."

"About Hyrule? I'm sorry, senator, but you're much more familiar than I with—"

"Please, Ambassador Zant. Let me finish. I'm asking you because we're kindred spirits. You know where I'm coming from. The subject I speak of here is exile.

"Hyrule has had its ups and downs in the years, yes. Technology has evolved. Monarchy has fallen. But one thing has remained fairly constant: Hyrule is a land of racism. If you don't have the pointed ears of a Hylian, you're a nobody. My ancestors, the Gerudo, were driven out of Hyrule to the desert centuries ago. Your people, the Twilit, were driven further, and longer ago. Gorons, Dekus, Zoras, Rito…all essentially herded into reservations. There has been progress, yes. I'm a senator, and a well respected one. Most of the different races of Hyrule have some sort of representation. But the fact remains that Hylians are racist, and their segregation of 'inferior' races has lead to even further prejudice between all races."

Zant nodded dumbly. The senator's words held such power. He found himself completely enthralled.

"Well," the man continued, "no longer, I say. Hyrule needs progression, and all these games of politics aren't going to help. They move far too slow. What we need is a return to a monocracy. We need someone who can actually accomplish things. Someone working for the good of Hyrule."

"You mean…restoring the Hyrule family to the throne?"

He scoffed. "Hardly. There's a reason that Hyrule is no longer a kingdom. No, we need someone new. Someone, if I may boast for a moment, like myself."

"I could think of no one better, senator," Zant said. "You've more than proved yourself capable."

"Well, I'm glad you think so. However, now we get into the matter of why I need you. You see, even if the Hylians were to agree to a monarchy, there's no way they would put a Gerudo like myself on the throne. They would cling to tradition and refuse to be progressive. Senator Zelda Hyrule would be instated in my stead. And while I have support from several different non-Hylian senators, I'm sure that, if I were to take the throne, there would be war. That is why I need enough supporters for a pre-emptive strike. Of course, that means I would become a dictator—a benevolent dictator, of course, but a dictator nonetheless. Still, it would be preferable to putting a Hyrule in charge again."

Zant nodded. "Of course it would, Senator Ganondorf. But…I have just one question. How can I be sure you'll succeed?"

The man pulled off the black gloves he had been wearing, holding up his right hand to display the marking on it. Zant, though he was not from Hyrule, recognized it immediately. A piece of the Triforce. "Because, ambassador," he said, his hand bursting into flame as he clenched his fist, "the goddesses are on my side."

Zant hurriedly stood, staring at the man's hand, before dropping to his knees and prostrating himself before the senator.

"The Twilit armies, oh my god," he cried aloud, "are yours to command!"

Aryll looked at the house. "It really doesn't look like anything special," she told the giantess beside her. The woman was easily six feet tall, and more muscular than most men. Aryll, short and toothpick-armed, felt quite uneasy next to Impa.

"It's not," she replied in a thick accent*, opening the door. "It's just a house. Come inside."

Aryll and Colin followed her in, glancing around. It was, as Impa had said, nothing special. It was just a house. One quite a bit nicer than their own, granted, but still very moderate.

"Whose house is this?" she asked.

"Ours for now," the big woman said flatly. She pointed down the hall. "The rooms are that way. Pick one. Put your bags there. Ilia will meet you now." She slipped quietly out the door. She moved with quite a bit of agility and grace for a woman her size, Aryll noted.

"So," she said, turning to Colin as they walked down the hall, "what do you think of Impa."

The boy frowned. "She's scary. She's so big, and she talks funny."

She smiled. "Yeah, she scares me too."

"Where's Link?" he asked. "I wanna see him. When's he coming back?"

She hesitated. "He…he's not coming back for a while, Colin."

"You mean that he's dead, don't you." She blinked in shock. Is that really how he had interpreted her statement? "Well, I don't believe you. Link wouldn't die. He's too strong for that."

She managed a chuckle. "You're right, Colin. He's way too strong. And I meant what I said: he's not coming back for a while, and we're going to have to get used to that."

"Why not?"

"I…I don't know, Colin. I honestly don't know."

"I do," came a voice from behind them. A young woman, probably around Link's age, walked down the hall towards them. "Hi, there. I'm Ilia. Aryll, that's your room, Colin, that's yours."

Aryll slipped her bag into the room and turned to talk to the woman. "What do you mean? You know where Link is? You know what he's doing?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Aryll. I know, but I can't give you that information." As Aryll's face fell, she continued. "I can, though, tell you a few things. First of all, he's doing a job of great importance. The person who hired him for the job is also my and Impa's employer. I can't tell you who exactly who she is, but she's someone of great influence."

"She? It's a woman?"

Ilia paused. "I've said too much about her already. You'll probably figure the rest out eventually, but it's best you don't know for now."

Aryll grunted and nodded. "So, Ilia…who exactly is Impa?"

"My employer's old nursemaid."

"And why exactly is a nursemaid still working for a fully grown woman of such 'great influence?'"

"Well, now she's a…um, cook."

Aryll stared at her. "Bit lean for a cook, wouldn't you say?"

"Okay, okay, she's a bodyguard. That's why she's here. To guard you an Colin."

"Wait, what?" Aryll blinked in surprise. "What? Why do we need a bodyguard?"

Ilia hesitated. "Look, Aryll, I really don't know how much I can tell you. I'm sorry, but—"

"Go ahead," came a voice from behind them, causing them to jump. Impa had reappeared, just as quietly as she had left. "You can tell her."

Ilia nodded. "How much can she know?"

"Everything. They are safe now."

"All right," she said. "I'll tell you everything I know."

"How's my bike?" Link asked as he slipped back into the garage.

Malon beamed as he approached. "Oh, I think you'll love it. Come on, right over here."

"Wow," Link whispered as he saw the motorcycle. "Thanks, Malon. It looks great." The bike looked the same for the most part, but it was cleaner. He assumed it also ran better. Mounted on the front were two sturdy bars, sharpened into points, which he hoped would come in handy. "I think this'll work great. Thanks."

"So what do you need the bike in such good condition for, huh?" she asked.

He gave a wry chuckle. "I probably shouldn't talk about it, but…well, I've got something pretty important to do. Really important. Might never see this place again, actually."

"Sounds big." He nodded. "Must be pretty stressful. I wish I could help."

"You already have, tuning up my bike like that. Anything else I can't involve you in."

"Mmm," she said. "Well, how about a kiss. For luck. I mean, it's not like it'll help, but you'll at least know that people are counting on you to return."

"No." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I…I couldn't possibly."

"Hey, it's nothing like that," she said. "It's just—"

"It's not that at all," he said. "It's just…well, you remind me too much of Marin."

"Marin?"

He sighed. "I really loved her, Malon. I mean, when you know nothing about your past, and your world is so turbulent, having something that remains constant means everything. Marin was that constant. She helped me get back on my feet, helped me try to find out who exactly I was." He looked at Malon. "I was about to propose to her, you know."

"What happened?"

"She drowned." He shook his head. "I…I was going to go with her to the beach that day. She loved to sit and watch the seagulls. But something came up. I told her to go on, and that I'd catch up to her later. It happened when she was trying to save a boy who was drowning. I got there while they were both in the water." He took a deep breath. "I swam out to save them. 'Take the boy,' she said. 'I'll be fine.' So I saved the boy. I went back out to save her, but…." He trailed off.

"But it was too late," Malon finished for him.

"Yeah. It was too late."

They lapsed into silence. "Look," Malon said after a few moments, attempting to change the subject. "Here, I've gotta show you what I've done with your bike." She led him around the front. "You can see the spears I mounted on front, but check this out." She started up the bike, then pressed a button. Two automatic guns popped out of a compartment on the rear. "They're rigged to fire automatically when you're in motion, so be careful. Either way, you've got the spears on the front, and these to cover your rear."

He nodded. "Thanks, Malon."

"It was my pleasure. This particular Epona is easily the best bike I've worked on. All engines have life in them, yeah, but this one actually felt as if she were alive. I dunno, call me crazy, but it felt like she liked my singing."

He thanked her again, paid, and wheeled the bike out. He looked around to make sure he was alone, then pulled out the Ocarina Saria had given him. Malon had said that it felt like there was life in the bike, and that it had reacted to her singing. He fiddled around with the notes a bit, trying to recreate by ear the tune she would always sing. He felt crazy, even attempting this. The bike wasn't alive.

He finally got the tune down, took a deep breath, and played it through. The engine instantly roared to life. In that second, he felt something. No, the bike wasn't alive, but it definitely had a soul. Not just any soul, but a part of his own soul in it. Not just that, but a part of Malon's. A part of the hearts of all the people in Hyrule that cared about him, and wanted him to be safe. The bike responded to those emotions.

He chuckled, surprised at what all the magic Saria had given him could do. He slipped on his sunglasses, jammed his headphones into his ears, and set it to a song by the Indigo-gos. "Nothing better than jazz for saving the world," he muttered, smiling to himself. Then he revved the throttle, roaring off into the night, trenchcoat flapping behind him.

"Huh," was all Aryll could manage when Ilia finished explaining the situation. Impa had disappeared halfway through. "So. Senator Zelda. And Senator Ganondorf."

"You recognize the names?"

Aryll laughed. "Who doesn't? They're the most prominent and quickest upcoming senators, respectively. Come on, even Colin recognizes their names. But Link's involved with them? That's…wow. Didn't see that coming."

"And now you understand why we have to keep you here."

"Kind of. Is Ganondorf really as bad as you say? Because he seems pretty pleasant to me."

"That's why he's so dangerous," Ilia said. "And why he's so powerful."

Aryll nodded. "I think we'd best keep this from Colin, if just because he wouldn't understand it."

"Well, it's your call now. So, Aryll, tell me…what's it like, living with Link?"

"It's okay. He's great to be around and all, but he drives me crazy, never telling me what's going on. I mean, I know a bit now, but that's thanks to you. He just seems so distant."

"Well," she said, "love is never easy."

Aryll coughed. "Love? What the hell are you talking about?"

Ilia stared. "You love him, don't you?"

She laughed. "Well, yeah. He's like a brother. But that doesn't mean I'm _in_ love with him!"

Ilia shrugged. "Whatever you say. I mean, I've only seen pictographs of him, and I don't see how anyone not actually related to him could live in the same house and not develop some sort of feelings for him."

"Ilia, even if I did feel anything for him, it would never work out. He's in love with someone else. Someone dead and gone. And he's never going to forget about her as long as Colin's around."

Ilia looked puzzled. "Why Colin?"

She glanced over at the boy's room, from which the heavy breathing of sleep could be heard. "Because," she said, "he's the one she died protecting."

*[AN: though our languages are naturally not spoken in this universe, the accent is quite similar to Russian]


	5. The Guide

Link pulled his bike off to the side of the road halfway home, realizing that it was a place that he couldn't go anymore. He didn't have any idea what to do. He paced up and down the deserted street for a bit until he remembered that he could always ask Senator Zelda what to do. He jogged back towards his bike, pulling the contact card she had given him out of his pocket.

It was quiet, he noticed suddenly. Too quiet. Unnaturally quiet. It wasn't simply silent, it was as if all sound had been sucked out of the air. The night creatures, the sound of vehicles in the distance, even the breeze was quiet. Link turned just in time for something large to tackle him to the ground. He instinctively reached for his sword, realizing he had left it with the bike, before breaking free and scrambling away.

A blow from behind sent him flying. He rolled onto his back to face it, and got his first look at his assailant. It was a yellowish color and had a large body, with four stubby limbs and two giant, flopping ears. And it was between Link and his bike.

Link gave a yell as he charged towards it, hoping to plow through it or get around it to reach his sword. The yell started fairly loud, but as he drew closer, it sounded muted, as if the noise was being swallowed up. He took a breath and shouted again. The monster recoiled briefly at the noise, though it was quickly muted again. Link took a deep breath to shout once more, but in that second, it leapt forward, tackling him and placing one of its paws over his mouth and nose, suffocating him. He tried to make a noise, but he couldn't. He tried to move, but the creature was too heavy. He couldn't breathe, and the air had been crushed out of his lungs.

As his sight started swimming, he thought he heard a noise in the distance. He mustn't have, because the monster paid no mind.

"Hey!" came a muffled voice off to his right as he started losing consciousness. "Listen." A gunshot rang through the air, and suddenly, the monster flopped off of him. All the little noises that had disappeared returned to the world.

The last thing he could make out before he lost consciousness was a pair of dirty feet.

"Senator Zelda!" boomed a voice behind her, full of insincere joviality. She started walking faster. A wall of flame flared in front of her, stretching from wall to wall, before instantly dying down, leaving no indication that anything had happened. The message was clear: she didn't have the choice to run away. She turned to face the man.

"Senator Zelda," Ganondorf smiled, spreading his arms wide. "Really, there's no need to run, is there? Do you really wish to avoid speaking to me that badly?

Zelda just glared at him. "What do you want, Ganon?"

He gave a deep, booming laugh. "Cutting right to the name-calling, are we? Look, Senator Zelda…I'm just here to talk."

"I'm sure," she said icily. "What are you really up to? All the work you're putting into that orphanage…why? What do the children matter to you?"

"All of Hyrule matters to the future king…Princess," he said, spitting the old title at her like a snake shooting venom. "Why shouldn't I care about the children of my kingdom?"

"You've never taken an approach like this before. Why this? Why now?"

He chuckled. "Well, you are right about one thing. I don't care about the children. I just care about one of them."

"What—"

"It would just spoil all the fun if I told you, Senator. I like it when you're angry." His eyes narrowed. "But I don't like it when you go messing up my plans. You've found the Hero again, haven't you? Well, he won't be able to help now. Not it this world, with all its politics. What power does he have? He's a nobody. A street kid. Just one step above a bum.

"And what power do you have, for that matter? After all, you're so suspicious of me that you're not thinking of your reputation at all. That bothersome park that takes up so much space…I'm sure we could half the size and put up a new building. And I'm sure we could find an optimal place near Lake Hylia for a factory. I think that you and the Zoras are about the only opposition at this point."

"Ganondorf, when I find out what you're up to, I will—"

He grabbed her chin in a firm grip, turning her face upward into his. "You'll do what? Face it, Senator. I'm winning your supporters over, one by one. You had so much, when you first started. A senator born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and a silver tongue to go with it. But I had nothing. I worked my way up to the top, as I always have. I fight for what I get. Funny how our positions are reversing now. As my popularity rises, yours dwindles. You don't know what's best for the people anymore, Senator Zelda. You only know what is best for you and the royal family, and what is worst for me. You can't win people over like I can. I bet you never once thought about the racism the Twilit are facing, or how willing Zant was to give me complete power over the entire Twilight Realm once he heard that I would do something about it." He threw her back, smirking as she stumbled. Her face burned where his fingers had dug into her jaw. "You're nothing, Senator. And there's no place for you in my new Hyrule." He bowed in insincere respect before turning and striding back to where he had come from.

"Hey, wake up," came a girl's voice. Link forced his eyes open, a person coming into focus. "How's it going?" the girl asked. "You almost bought it there, didn't you?"

He sat up, taking a look at the girl. Her hair and skin, covered in grime, were extremely pale, though with a healthy, almost luminescent glow that seemed to give of blue tones. Or maybe that was just because of her plain blue dress, the hems in tatters. She was barefoot, her feet covered in what seemed to be a permanent layer of dust.

"What happened," he moaned groggily.

"You got jumped by a Pols Voice. Nasty creatures, those. Scared of noise, so they steal the sound right out of the air around them." She expertly twirled a large gun around her finger. "Of course, if you manage to create a noise, a loud bang, for example. Or just put a bullet through their head, point blank."

"Thanks, I guess," Link said, picking himself off the ground. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, about that. Most people tend to run _away_ from monsters. You know, for future reference."

He grabbed his sword from off of his bike. "I'm not most people," he said. "Then again, it sounds like you aren't either. Who are you, exactly?"

"My name's Natavhari. Fifteen-year-old encyclopedia of monsters and history. Expert marksman."

"Nata…?"

"Navi," she said. "All my friends just call me Navi."

"All right. Thanks, Navi."

"So what sort of person are you, that you're not afraid of monsters and you carry a sword around? I mean, guns work so much better."

"The sword is a personal thing," he said. "And yeah, I'm…well, I'm sort of on a quest. Important stuff to do. So thanks, and later."

"You're looking for the Master Sword, aren't you?" she asked.

He turned to face her. "How did you know that? Only one other person could possibly know."

She grinned mischievously. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Big save-the-world sort of quest, guy who carries a sword…I'll bet your name's Link, isn't it? Oh, come on," she said at his look of shock. "I told you, I'm like an encyclopedia when it comes to history. It's just what I'm good at. Besides killing monsters, that is. Look, you're really lucky you found me, because it just so happens that I'm one of the only people who can actually take you to the Master Sword."

"And what, nobody else knows where to find it?"

"Nope. It's pretty well guarded, so it's a secret to everybody. But I have my ways of learning about things. I know where to find it. I could take you there."

He looked at her warily. "Are you my guide?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. But I can help you out. Get you info on enemies. If you're looking for the Master Sword, you're obviously doing something pretty big, and you're gonna need all the help you can get."

"So what's the catch? What do you want?"

She looked down. "Well, you're Link. You're obviously after Ganondorf, and so Zelda has got to be involved somehow. If I come with you, I might get to meet Zelda, and…well, all I really want is a place to call home. A family of some sort. I've gone from place to place, doing what I can for a bit of money, living in shelters…I'm basically just a child of the streets. I don't have anywhere I fit in. And Zelda's got the wisdom to help me find that place."

Link smiled at her. "Well, Navi, even if Zelda can't do anything, I'm sure I can. Now come on, you say you know where the Master Sword is?"

"Yeah! Well…well, okay not really."

"What."

"No, wait! I don't exactly know where it is, but I've got some ideas, and I'm positive I know someone who does know."

"All right, so who is it?"

"He's a mapmaker. A genius mapmaker, actually. He can get us the maps to find anything, though he never actually goes for it himself. He just, well, he likes maps, I guess."

"All right, let's go, then. Hop on the bike." He swung his leg over, and Navi hopped up behind him. It was the first time he had actually watched her move, and it was quite fascinating. She moved with an odd sort of agility, as if she were dancing, or even floating. There wasn't much grace or purpose to it, but it was gentle and quick. She bounded up behind him, thrusting her arms around his waist to hang on.

"There's just one thing, Link," she said.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Well, you have to promise that, when we get there, you won't be mad at me."

He laughed. "Navi, if you're sure he can help us, why would I be mad?"

"Oh, trust me. You'll see what I mean as soon as you see him."


	6. Legacy of the Master Sword

"You don't have to hold on so tightly," Link told the girl. Navi just squeezed tighter in response.

"I've never been on a motorcycle!" she yelled over the roar of the engine. "Only been in an automobile a few times! This is really fun, but it's also kinda scary! Take a left here!"

She squealed in fear and delight as he took the corner, and he shook his head in response. "Do you ever stop talking?" he asked.

"Sometimes! Next turn is in a few blocks!"

He finally slowed the cycle in front of a large building, somewhat resembling a tower. Though it looked like an old style, it was painted in very bright shades that made it stand out quite a bit, even at night. A giant, red balloon was attached to the top.

"How have I never seen this place before?" he muttered to himself.

"Okay," Navi said, holding out her hands and walking backwards, "he tends to work late, so I'm sure he's up, but I'm going to have to apologize in advance again. He's kind of a strange man, and—"

"I know how to deal with strange, Navi," he chuckled, knocking on the door. Navi bent down and waved as a slot opened, a pair of eyes peering out. The slot was only about halfway up Link's torso.

"Navi!" a tiny voice squeaked. "It's been a while! Just a moment!"

"He's a midget?" Link said, glancing over at Navi. "Why are you apologizing for that? I'm not that insensitive."

Navi looked off to the side, absently pressing her index fingers together. "Well, it's more than that…."

The door opened with a "Welcome!" from the small man. Link looked down at him. The man was dressed like a—well, Link wasn't entirely sure what exactly he was dressed like. He wore green spandex, red underwear on the outside, that gradually came to a point above his head. Around his neck was a clock, and his rosy cheekbones and nose would have been notable had the rest of his face not consisted of a goatee, thin mustache, thick eyebrows and buck teeth.

Link shot a glance at Navi. She shrugged sheepishly.

"Navi! It is so good to see you again after all this time! Tingle has been working twice as hard on all his maps, now that his assistant is gone!"

"It's good to see you again, too, Tingle," she said, though the statement sounded a bit strained to Link. "This is Link. We need your help with something."

Tingle looked up at Link, as if noticing him for the first time, and gasped. "Green clothes!" he squealed. "Are you, sir, by any chance, a fairy?"

Link blinked. "Pardon? Oh, you mean the magical beings, right!"

The man giggled. "The same! Now, keep this quiet, but..." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Tingle believes he is the very reincarnation of a fairy! Isn't that wonderful, Mr. Fairy?"

"You know," he said, arms crossed, "somehow I'm not all that surprised."

"Yes, it is very obvious, isn't it? Now, Mr. Fairy, how can I help you?"

"Tingle," Navi said, we're looking for something called the Master Sword. I'm sure you've heard of it. Do you have any maps that could help us out?"

The small man nodded. "Follow me!" He led them into a very large room—obviously the tower part of the building Link had seen from outside. The entire room was round, filled floor to ceiling with old books, charts, and other random documents. In the room sat a desk, to which a large red balloon was floating, and at the desk sat a green-haired, bespectacled man.

"Dr. Left," Tingle said, "the Master Sword, please?"

The man nodded, thought a bit, and then jotted down a few notes on a piece of paper before handing it to Tingle. Tingle took the paper, then tied the balloon around his waist, floating around the tower to the various shelves.

Link craned his neck back to watch the little man. "How exactly does he get the balloon to do that?"

"You know," Navi responded, "I never quite figured that out." She shrugged. "Maybe he really is the reincarnation of a fairy."

"Oh, yeah, what's up with that? I don't look anything like a fairy, do I?"

"Don't worry, you don't. Just a little feminine. Besides," she continued before he could protest, "I'm pretty sure fairies don't really wear green."

"Excuse me," said the man behind the desk, "but as much as I'm enjoying this gossip about the strange little floating man, time is of the essence, and you won't find the Master Sword with just that map."

Link and Navi looked at the man, his presence registering for the first time. "My name is Dr. Left," the green-haired man said. "I'm certainly no cartographer, but I do (naturally, as my title would suggest) hold a few doctorates. You'll need directions, I'm sure, but I'm the man you're really here to see."

"Thanks, Doc," Navi said, "But I already know all about the Master Sword."

Dr. Left chuckled. "I find that hard to believe. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, some sort of Temple or something…look, Tingle's giving us the map there, what more do we need?"

The man shook his head. "You don't even know about the three pendants, do you?"

The girl blinked. "The what-now?"

"The pendants. Magical artifacts from the day of the Master Sword. I'm not sure the sword is sentient, exactly, but records indicate that it was at one point, and it will not lend its power to one unworthy—one without the pendants.

"And where do I find these pendants," Link asked.

"Well, they're not particularly hard to find or obtain, really. The goddesses have entrusted them to the Gorons, the Zoras, and the Deku Tree. Or so the histories say, at least. No problem. Of course, if the histories are correct, there's a good chance that you'll encounter some form of resistance. After all, they're not going to just give artifacts from the goddesses to just anybody, are they?" He laughed. "It'll probably be some sort of task you'll have to do for them, to prove you're worthy. If they still have the pendants, that is. It's possible they've been lost to history."

"And Tingle is finding us information on that, too?"

"Indeed." He glanced up. "And it looks like he's just about finished, too."

"So how exactly did you start working for him?" Navi asked. "I don't remember seeing you around when I worked here."

Dr. Left burst into laughter. "Oh, dear child! Oh, goodness, I would never dream of working for him! No, I simply work _with_ him, temporarily. As eccentric as he is, and as much as I absolutely cannot stand him, the man has a vast collection of information. That's what I'm here for. I help the customers, and he lets me study. It's just a mutually beneficial relationship." He looked at Navi, honest sympathy on his face. "And I am terribly sorry you had to work for him, miss. You truly are a brave soul."

The balloon floated back down to the floor. "Here you are, Mr. Fairy!" Tingle told Link, handing him the map. "Thank you for the business! But that map is very rare, you know. Tingle only has two extra copies. So, with Mr. Write's help—" The green-haired man rolled his eyes in disgust at the mangling of his name. "—and the maps, together that comes to…398 rupees."

"Three hu—what? That's an insane price!"

"Don't worry, I'll pay it for you," Dr. Left said. "Consider it a gift. If you're going after the Master Sword, you'll need all the help you can get. And besides, prestigious professor I am, I easily have enough."

"Oh, well, um…thank you. I'll find a way to pay you back someday."

After the transaction was taken care of, Link and Navi headed back outside. "So," Navi said, bounding down the steps, "back to Kokiri Park?"

Link nodded. "Back to Kokiri Park."

"Listen, Ganondorf," came the voice through the receiver, "I don't know what you're up to, but I _will_ find out. And when I do, I will use every resource available to stop you."

The Gerudo chuckled. "Thank you for your call, Senator Zelda. I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to." He placed the receiver back on the telephone, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the two in his office over his folded, gloved hands.

"Senator Zelda is becoming…a nuisance," he said. "Which is why I've called you two here." The two who sat before him were the two senators most loyal to him. They were the only two he trusted with his plans. Fortunately, they were also exactly the two that he needed.

The men were polar opposites in almost every way. The one to the left, dressed in his purple senatorial robes, was tall and wore a bored, blasé expression as he stared, uninterested, at his hand. His hair was a pale gray shade, almost white, and rolled down past his shoulders. The other man, dressed in green, was short and aggressive, an eager, menacing grin on his face. Bits of red hair poked out from beneath his top hat, which looked rather small compared to his oversized head.

"Now, I don't believe the two of your are acquainted," he said. He turned to the short man. "Senator Vaati here is the head of a large spy network. And Senator Cole," he said to Vaati, "has a fair number of assassins at his disposal. The two of you will be working together for me from now on. Now, while it is evident that the two of you probably will not see eye-to-eye—metaphorically speaking, of course," he added with a glance at Cole, "—you both have one important thing in common: you got to where you are today through a combination of my influence and your aforementioned networks."

"And you expect me to work with this pretty boy?" Cole demanded.

"Of course he does, dunce," Vaati answered. "He told us so himself. And trust me, thrilled as I am to be working with an imbecile like yourself, I trust Mr. Ganondorf here to make the right judgement."

Ganondorf shook his head. "Gentlemen, please. I need you both to listen for just a moment. Senator Zelda has become nosy and inquisitive, and I can't afford for her to find out what's happening. She's in the way. And what's worse, she's sent someone called Link to stop me. Vaati, I need you to track down this man, find out anything you can about him."

Vaati nodded. "Understood."

"And Cole, I need you to take care of both of them. I'm sure you have a few men up to the job."

"Eheeheehee," Cole cackled. "Do I ever! I've already got a man in mind for the senator."

Ganondorf nodded towards the telephone on his desk. "Well, call him up."

Cole dialed the number, looking indignant when the Gerudo plucked the receiver out of his hand. "Yes?" asked a cheerful man's voice on the other end.

"Hello," Ganondorf said. "You've been recommended to me by your employer, but I thought I'd talk to you in person. I have a job for you."

"Anything, sir," the man said. "Sakon the Assassin at your service, as long as you have enough rupees."

Ganondorf glanced over at Cole, who flashed him a smug grin. "Tell me, Sakon," he said, "have you ever killed a senator?"


	7. The Pendant of Courage

Zant sat in his hotel, staring straight ahead, lost in thought. He was so filled with awe, with hope, with inspiration after meeting with Ganondorf. Just one meeting with the man! That's all it had been! But still, so impactful!

It was during his reverie that a woman entered the room, dressed in a black nightgown, bright red hair hanging unadorned behind her. "Zant?" she said softly. He didn't respond. "Zant, honey, are you okay?"

When he looked up at her, she noticed that there was a strange glint in his eyes. "Oh, Midna, I'm feeling wonderful," he told her. "When I met with Ganondorf today, I met with a _god!_ The power this man has…it's incredible! And he wants to help us! Help the Twilit! Can you believe it, Midna?"

She shook her head as she sat on the bed beside him. "No, Zant, I can't. It just doesn't sound right. It's all too easy, too good to be true. I'm not sure you should trust this man. If he can sway your opinions this easily, there's no end to what he might be able to do." She closed her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder with a smile. "Besides," she added as he started absently running his fingers through her hair, "I know you have a weakness for redheads. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid or reckless."

"Midna," he said, "If you met him, you'd understand. I'd do anything to help that man."

She sat upright, looking at him seriously. "You haven't done anything yet, have you Zant?"

He remained silent.

"Zant, honey, what did you do?"

"I did what I had to, Midna. The Twilit have been oppressed by the people of Hyrule for too long. Ganondorf can change that. We're not starting a war, but he has our help if we need it."

"You pledged our armies to him?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Zant, what the hell possessed you to do such an idiotic move without consulting anyone else?"

He stared at her, the conviction in his eyes cutting into her. "Come with me, Midna. Meet with him. I made the right choice. Trust me, you'll understand."

The Children of Kokiri looked up as Link's engine cut the silence of the park, most of them with clear distaste. Saria—Link could tell it was her, even at a distance, by her green hair—stood, quickly making her way over to him.

"I'm glad to see you're well, Link," she said, Makar rattling with glee by her bare feet. She glanced at Navi. "And I see that the Guide has found you."

"I have a name, you know," Navi muttered under her breath."

"Good to see you again, Saria," he said, welcoming the green-haired girl with an embrace.

She stepped back once he released her. "We know why you're here," she said, suddenly serious. "You need the Pendant of Courage."

He chuckled. "You guys are good. The Deku Tree tell you that, too?"

"No, Link. Ganondorf knows. He's determined to stop you. And he got here first."

Link froze. "Ganondorf is here?"

"Not quite. But one of his minions arrived just before you." She pointed to the giant tree's foliage. "It's already up there, searching for the pendant in the highest branches."

Link looked up and swore. "How the hell do I get all the way up there?"

"Yeah, there's no way he'll be able to carry me up," Navi added.

"The Deku Tree will provide," Saria answered with no hesitation.

"No, Saria, honestly, there's not even any branches until about halfway up the trunk. There's no possible way I'll be able to climb that. Also, no," he added, glaring at Navi.

Saria gestured back at the giant tree. A thick vine had started unfurling, dropping almost to the ground. "As I said, the Deku Tree will provide."

Link sighed and sprinted over to the vine, Navi on his heels. "Navi, what part of 'no' didn't you understand?" he asked as she jumped onto his back.

"You'll need me," she said, clinging tightly as he started climbing the vine. "I know all about this sort of stuff, and I can help with the fighting."

"But you're too heavy—" he started, a moment before the vine retracted, yanking them both upwards. Navi's arms tightened around his neck as they shot up, cutting off his air supply.

The vine came to a stop right above a thick upper branch. "Dammit, Navi," he groaned as she dropped onto the limb. "You don't have to cling so tightly, you know."

"I didn't want to fall off," she said, as if that excused everything. "Come on, let's start climbing!"

He grabbed the back of her dress, halting her, and cocked an ear into the air.

"What are you—"

"Shut up for just a second, would you?" Off to the left, there was a faint scratching sound. "This way," he said, motioning her to follow.

The branches weaved around, making a bit of a maze out of the foliage, but they were also large enough to walk on easily. Link had no problem keeping his balance. Navi didn't either, actually doing some skipping along the branch. The scratching noise was coming from up above, but it would pause, and when it started again, it was louder. It was obviously searching for something, and they were getting closer to it.

Whatever they were following was directly overhead now. Link slowly drew his sword from its sheath, looking up as the skittering stopped.

There was nothing there.

"Watch out!" he heard Navi scream, half a second before something slammed into his side. He fell, just barely managing to wrap his arms around the branch, sword clenched tightly in his fist, dangling hundreds of feet above the ground.

"Link!"

"I'm okay!" he yelled, swinging his body forward and wrapping his legs around the branch. "I'm fine, just grab my sword so I can get back up!"

"Uh, yeah, about that! It's sort of right above you."

Link looked up, a giant, crablike creature staring down at him with its single eye. He swore, pulling his sword arm off the branch. "Navi, what the hell is this thing?"

"It's a Ghoma," she yelled to him. "Nasty things. You'll probably want to go for the eye."

"You think? It does sort of only have one."

"No, I mean it's armored pretty well. There's still a strong glassy film over the eye, but that's where the armor is weakest."

It snapped a claw at his arm, and he let go to dodge, now dangling only by his legs. "Well, I'd do that, but I can't really get a good swing like this. Could you at least distract it or something?

"Hey, Ghoma!" Navi yelled in response. "Over here!" The giant eye turned from Link to the small girl in annoyed surprise. A second later, a few shots rang out, driving the giant crab back. _It really must be armored well,_ Link thought, _if even bullets can't get through._

He swung his body upwards again, catching hold of the branch with his right hand and driving his sword into the bark with his left. Grabbing the blade, he hoisted himself back up onto the branch. He quickly yanked the blade back out, watching as the Ghoma staggered back under the gunfire. Then it blinked, shook its head quickly, and reopened the eye once more. The protective lens didn't even look scratched.

"No!" Navi wailed behind him. "I could have sworn I was doing some damage. It looked like it was cracking and everything!"

Holding his sword defensively in his left hand, he motioned Navi forward with his right. "Navi, try that again. At the very least, we can distract it for a bit."

"Okay," she muttered, "But if it didn't work last time, it probably won't now, either." She stepped forward, unleashing a round on the eye as the Ghoma approached. It paused, held up by the bullets, and Link was certain that he did, in fact, see something starting to give. But when it closed its eye, reopening it just a few seconds later, it was as if they had never attacked it in the first place.

"It's regenerating," Link muttered to himself. "Navi! Get down on one knee. Don't let up with the bullets!"

"But I'm wasting them," she moaned before throwing a quick glance back at him. He had already started sprinting away. "Hey! Hey, Link, I can't do this myself!"

He stopped, turning around. "Trust me," he said.

She turned back to the monster, gun wavering unsteadily as her hands trembled. The Ghoma charged, determined not to let the girl's bullets slow it again. "Link?" she screamed as she fired. "Link! It's gonna kill me!"

Link sprinted as quickly as he could towards the girl as she fired. It was working. The protective lens was weakening. Just a few feet behind her, he jumped, vaulting over her, and jamming his sword into the Ghoma's eye with all his strength. The lens cracked as the tip pierced it, plunging deeper inside its body. It tried blinking to heal the wound, but the blade kept the eyelid from closing. "Take that, you bastard," Link muttered to it, shoving the blade in further as blood and goo started seeping from the wound. Then, the eye went dim, and the body went limp, slumping to the limb before toppling out of the tree, sword still lodged in its eye.

"You, uh, sorta dropped your sword there," Navi told him.

"It'll still be there when we head down. The pendant should be there too; it had it in its claw."

"Right, and what do we do, just jump?"

Link nodded at a vine that had started unfurling behind the girl. "The Deku Tree will provide."

Pendant safely in a pocket, sword cleaned and back in its sheath, Link headed back to his motorcycle. "Thanks, Saria. For all your help."

"Come back anytime," she said. "I'll be right here."

He waved as Navi hopped onto the back of the bike. "I'll see you later, then." He started to climb onto the bike, but a ringing stopped him. He pulled out his phone, frowning as he saw that it was an unknown number. "Hello?" he said as he answered the call.

"Hello, hero," a man's voice replied. "I see you've killed my Ghoma. And I can see that I've underestimated you."

"How the hell did you get this number?" Link demanded.

"I have my ways," Ganondorf said. "Now, listen carefully, I have a question for you. Whould you happen to know who is staying in house 139 on Kasuto Street?"

Link's heartbeat doubled in speed. That was the address Senator Zelda had given him. "Sorry," he said, his voice the only calm "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Interesting. Very interesting. Because you see, I have some _very_ good sources that indicate that there are currently two people residing there who happen to be very close to you."

"Listen, you bastard, I don't know what—"

"Boy, you've made the mistake of standing against me. I would have been more than willing to just let you live your life like a normal person. Hell, I would have even stood for you killing my Moblins. But when you decided to actively fight against me, just because that bitch of a senator asked you to, you crossed a line. When you started off that stupid quest of yours, you crossed another one. Killing my Ghoma and retrieving the Pendant of Courage? That was the third strike against you. You need to learn what happens to those who stand in my way."

There was a silence. "I'd hurry, boy," Ganondorf told him. "You just might get there in time."

Aryll sat at the kitchen table, chin rested on her hand, staring off into space.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" Ilia said, glancing back at her as she washed the dishes.

Aryll shook her head. "I just can't stop thinking about him. Wondering if he's all right. Hoping he's safe. Worrying that he's not."

Ilia chuckled. "You really are in love with him, aren't you?"

She moaned. "Ilia, we've had this conversation already."

"I know, I know. I just think you need to face the truth."

"Ilia!"

"Oh, calm down, Aryll, I'm just teasing. Mostly."

Aryll sighed. "I just feel so useless here. Like there's something I could be doing to help him. I mean, I grew up on the streets. I know how to fight when needed. I just don't see why this is something he has to do on his own."

Colin emerged from his room, wearily rubbing an eye. "Hey, Colin," Aryll said as he approached. "What's the matter, buddy? Couldn't sleep?"

Colin nodded. "I'm scared," he mumbled. "What if Link doesn't come back?"

"Aw, come here," she said, sitting him on her knees and pulling him into a hug. "It's all right," she said. "He's fine. You just have to have a bit of courage, Colin. You can't go through life scared all the time. Hey, remember that time you almost drowned? You finally got bold enough to take baths again, didn't you? And now water barely scares you at all. It's kind of like that with this."

Colin nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "I'll try."

There was a knock on the door. "Excuse me," Ilia said, slipping out of the room to answer it.

"Maybe that's him now," Aryll said to Colin, bouncing him on her knee. He nodded eagerly, jumping off her lap to follow Ilia. Aryll sighed and hurried after him.

"Hello?" Ilia said, as she started to open the door. A powerful blast forced the door open, and a large, monstrous man—not really even a man at all, stepped into the house, pulling out a sword, thrusting it into Ilia's chest. The woman staggered, clutching at the sword, and collapsed to the ground as he removed it.

Aryll looked down at Colin, who was trembling with fear. "Colin!" she hissed. "Run! Don't worry about me."

Colin ran, but only to the fireplace. He grabbed a metal poker, holding it out defensively like a sword.

"Colin, just go! I'll hold him off!" She turned back to the beast of a man. Now that he was fully in the light, she could see that he had a greenish skin tone, bull-like appearance, and stubs where horns had been filed off. This man was definitely not Hylian. And he would definitely not be easy to fight.

She spat on the floor, mentally slipping back into her street habits. She was fighting for her life now, but she was fighting for Colin's life too. This wasn't a fight she could afford to lose. If that meant falling back into her old street self, so be it. With a yell, she threw a punch into his large belly. She probably hurt her own hand more than she had hurt the man, as he simply shrugged the blow off without even flinching, headed for Colin.

"I'm not going to let you get away with what you did to Miss Ilia," he said, trying to sound tough and failing. The man looked at him, puzzled, before grabbing the poker, plucking the boy out of the air and effortlessly tossing him aside, sending him sliding across the floor in a crumpled heap.

Aryll jumped on his back, fingers desperately searching for his eyes. "Don't you dare touch him, you son of a bitch!" she screamed as he tried to toss her off his back. "You understand, you mindless brute?"

The man stopped struggling, as if she had hit a nerve. He reached up, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her over his back. The air rushed out of her as her back landed hard on the floor. With almost no effort, he grabbed her by the neck, gave her an angry glare, and slammed her against the wall. Her head collided with the wood, and she gasped as darkness invaded the edges of her vision. She fell to the floor as he let her drop. She attempted to stand, but couldn't even pull herself onto her hands and knees. Her awareness came and went, and she had no idea how long she lay there or what was going on.

_Heat, _she thought once, in her more aware states. She tried lifting her head, and could just barely see the flickering light. _Fire._ The house was on fire. She was going to burn alive. She had to get out. She had to save Colin.

She struggled to her feet with a yell, managing to go a whole two steps before collapsing back to the floor, slipping into unconsciousness for good this time.

By the time Link arrived, the house was already in flames. He stood at the end of the block, dropping to his knees as his legs gave out under him.

"Link, what's going on?" Navi asked, legitimate concern in her voice.

"Just stay on the bike, Navi!" he snapped at her. "Stay on the damn bike and leave me alone!"

Pulling himself to his feet, his legs feeling like rubber, he started into a stumbling run towards the house. A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder as he approached, yanking him back into the deserted street.

"I warned you, Link," Ganondorf said solemnly, no hint of victory or joy in his voice. "I'm truly sorry it had to be this way. But since you insisted on continuing with this, I did what I had to."

"What the hell did you do to them?" he demanded, voice wavering. "Tell me what the hell you did!"

"A mercenary by the name of Bulblin. He's the best at this sort of thing. Keeps his silence. No one will find out he works for me.

"Look," he continued as Link glared at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring them into it. But to stop you, I have to crush your spirits. The kids are gone, Link. You have nothing worth fighting for anymore."

Link, enraged, rushed Ganondorf, tackling him to the ground, throwing punch after punch into the man's face. "You think this will stop me? Do you, you bastard?"

Ganondorf laughed as Link continued his savage beating, merely shoving the youth away. He stood, spitting up blood. "You're not ready yet, child. Give up now, before I get serious about this. This is your last chance to walk away from this foolishness. Cross me again, and you _will_ die."

"You think I'm afraid?" Link spat. "You thought that a senator was sending me on a fool's errand, so killed the two people I love most in the world. That's not what you wanted to do. I was never really fighting against you. It was for them. But now that you've killed them, that sure as hell isn't the case anymore." He stared at the senator. "I'll take this chance to walk away, but only because I know I can't beat you yet. But you'd better be careful, Ganondorf. Because now, this is personal."

He turned and headed back to the bike, where the barefoot, blue-dressed girl sat gaping. "Come on, Navi," he said. "We've got a long trip to Death Mountain."


	8. Bombing Some Dodongos

Link glared at his opponent, a huge mass of rippling muscles. The creature he faced glared right back. Slowly, Link nodded his head, and the two charged.

He met the creature in a grapple, and immediately realized how difficult this would be. His opponent had incredible power, strength, and grip—not to mention a major weight advantage. Link was struggling just to remain upright.

His hands squeezed tighter around his opponent's biceps, digging deeper for hidden reserves of strength. How fitting, he thought, that this was his test for the Pendant of Power. It seemed helpless, but he held on, refusing to give up.

That's when the Pendent of Courage, hanging from around his neck, reacted. It suddenly felt very hot—not a burning or searing heat, but a passionate one. A sort of glow of energy. It filled him with strength, the power expanding proportionate to his courage, and with a cry, he thrust his opponent back.

The Goron tumbled to the ground, falling out of the fighting ring that had been constructed. Above the pleasantly surprised and almost grudging cheers of the other Gorons rose Navi's enthusiastic yelling.

He shook hands with Dangoro, the Goron he had been his opponent. "You truly are an impressive Hylian," he said. "If anyone is deserving of the Pendant of Power, it is you."

Without the heat of battle to distract him, Link could more clearly see why they were often referred to as "rock men." The Gorons, while relatively similar in appearance to Hylians, had some distinct differences. Apart from the huge muscles that even the young Gorons had, which were strong and solid enough to quite possible be made of actual rock, they all had onion-like heads. In order to display their tribal markings, Gorons wore a minimum of clothing, something Hylians found culturally shocking and more than a little awkward. Even the Goron senators remained shirtless, opting instead for something similar to a kilt. No one but the Gorons knew if Gorons had the markings from conception, or if they were tattooed on, which was in part because no one knew exactly how the all-male Gorons were conceived. The other races were too polite to ask, and the stoic Gorons never offered an explanation. Goron reproduction was one of Hyrule's greatest secrets.

The trip to Death Mountain (or, as the Gorons called it, the less ominous-sounding "Mount Kakariko") had taken the better part of a week. Traveling always took longer in the mountains, and near the end, the terrain had become too unstable for Link's bike, and they had to continue on foot. At first, Navi had asked a lot of "seriously, what the hell was that about" and "did you just punch out Ganondorf" and "why were you at that burning house" sort of questions, but after his repeated insistence that he didn't want to talk about it at the moment, she fell mostly silent. Mostly.

The Kakariko Gorons were extremely hesitant to allow him into their village, however. Gorons were, by nature, extremely tribal but otherwise solitary. After briefly explaining his purpose, they decided that they would, at very least, give him the test for the Pendant of Power. They had never expected him to win.

And now he had.

After the initial shock wore off, the Kakariko Tribe's chief and acting Senator, Darunia, shook his hand. "Now, Link," he said, "you are our brother."

"Uh…thanks…" Link managed before the chief lifted him from his feet and squeezed the air out of him in a huge hug. "You are now part of our tribe. Naturally, we don't expect you to embrace our culture, but we'd like you to think of us as your brothers."

Link smiled. "I'll certainly do that. And I'm sorry, while I'd love to stay and celebrate, time is of the essence. Would you mind if I just took the Pendant of Power and ran?"

The murmuring and applause in the room died completely, replaced with an air of awkwardness. "Erm…yes…about that…."

"Darunia," he asked hesitantly, "where is it?"

"Well," the chief replied, "it's not that we're not agreeing to what you say. It's that Ganondorf sort of has us all under his thumb right now. He is a master of mixing threats and promises. King Dodongo, for example. He promised that, since we had shown support to him in the past, he would send Dodongo, a horribly strong lizard creature, to protect the Pendant of Power. Unfortunately, it was only later that we realized that he was defending the pendant from us as well as everyone else. Dodongo seems almost specifically designed to keep us away. His breath is just hot enough to scorch us, his teeth just strong enough to pierce our skins, and his armor just strong enough that our punches have no effect. I'm sorry, Link. I truly am. But we can't give the pendant to you, simply because, well…we _can't._"

"I see," Link said, unfazed. Of course there was a guard. Ganondorf was always one step ahead of him in one way or another. Why wouldn't he have a guard for the pendant? "I guess it's up to me to go get it, then."

"What you're suggesting is suicide," Darunia said. "Going and facing Dodongo alone would be about as effective as running yourself through with your own sword, and would probably achieve the same result."

"He's not alone," Navi piped up. "I'm going with him."

Darunia glanced at Navi and sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Link, please, rethink this."

"I'm sorry, brother. I can't."

He nodded. "I didn't suppose you would. I'll take you to the mouth of the cavern Dodongo resides in, but that is as far as I will go." The other Gorons watched in solemn silence as the young man and the tiny girl followed their chieftain away.

"Goodbye, then, Link," Darunia said as they reached a cavern. "I don't expect to see you again, but certainly hope that I will." He gestured into the darkness, lit only by a dull, green glow. "Dodongo's Cavern lies down this way. It's dark now, but there are quite a few bright gems that light the cavern itself. It's also something of a maze. Don't get lost in the twisting passages, and be careful for traps.

"Oh, and one more thing." He produced a small pouch from within his robe. "This is a bomb bag. There's probably quite a bit of rubble in there that you'll need to clear. Since you're not a Goron, you won't have the strength to just dig through it. There are only ten bombs in here, so be resourceful. Good luck, brother."

Link nodded. "I'll be back. Come on, Navi."

Navi grinned and saluted. "You got it, Link! Let's go!"

"I still don't see why Ganondorf has us running around looking for some kid," Cole grumbled as he stepped out of the car.

"I didn't suppose you would understand," Vaati responded.

"Oh, like you understand this any better than I do!"

"Irrelevant," Vaati snapped. "Orders are orders, and not to be questioned."

"You only say that because you're too damn proud to admit you're just as in the dark as I am!"

The two were on their way to an orphanage to look for a specific child at Ganondorf's request. The orphanages had been filling steadily over the years, and most of the buildings were overfilled and dilapidated. Ganondorf had been one of the most vocal senators when it came to improving the situation. Thanks to his charisma, people had listened. The orphanages went from being merely homeless shelters for the numerous, nameless, street-dwelling children in Hyrule to actual homes. Children no longer just came and went, briefly providing one more face and mouth to feed. They were accounted for, and they stayed, because the orphanages gave them a chance to take some control of their lives. Sure, they were still scared, but at least they had hope.

All of that because Ganondorf was trying to find some kid Ganondorf had once run into.

"Really, though," Cole grumbled, "I don't get what the boss is trying to pull here. It's a kid. How exactly could he be so important that we've got to come down to the slums and grab him?" He shot Vaati a dirty look. "Isn't finding that 'Link' guy more important?"

"Gathering intelligence takes time," he responded coolly. "Besides, what about your assassins? They haven't done much this past week."

"Nnng!" Cole squealed, his fists clenching and his eyes narrowing. "I'm relying on you for that information, you stupid useless pretty boy! I can't exactly take care of him if I don't know where he is!"

"What about the Senator? If this Sakon guy is the best, why is she still around?"

Cole crossed his arms his face becoming instantly sour. "You obviously have no clue how assassinations like this work. He can't just waltz into the Senators office and kill her, can he? He has to make sure it's the perfect crime. He's an assassin, not a thug. It's a delicate process, a skillful thing…I'd even say it's an art. It's beautiful, a masterful assassination."

Vaati tossed his hair. "Mm hmm. Whatever. We're here, so let's just get this over with. And please, let me do the talking."

"And why should I leave this to you?"

"Because you're a stupid little man."

Cole glowered, but said nothing.

They pushed through the doors, and the woman behind the counter glanced up. She was a busty redheaded woman, slightly overweight, with a curious three-dotted tattoo beneath each of her eyes.

"Hey, there," she said as the two approached. "What can I help you with, honeys?"

"We're looking for a child who looks like this," Vaati said, producing the sketch Ganondorf had given him.

The woman glanced down. "Sorry, hon, never seen him before."

"That's impossible," Cole snapped. "He has to be here."

The woman gave him a pointed look. "Sorry, sugar, but I can't tell you he's here if he's not."

"Wait," Vaati said. "He…he may not show his face. The man who's looking for him…he mentioned a gift he left him. A mask. The man said that he really loved the gift. If he's never taken it off…."

The woman looked up and bit her lip, racking her memory. "Oh, him," she said finally. Yeah, I know who you're talking about. Here, let me take you to him.

She led them through a set of doors to where a bunch of young children were playing with various toys. "That's him, off in the corner," she said. "Come get me when you're done."

The boy sat on the ground, his face buried behind his knees, which he was hugging to his chest. "Come on," a young girl in a baggy yellow t-shirt told the kid, hands on hips as she looked at him. "You have to play with more than just the two of us."

"She's right," said a boy, about the same height, dressed in a similar purple shirt. The two had a strong resemblance, and judging from their ages, were probably twins. "We can't be your only friends."

"Let me handle this again," Vaati said. "No offense, it's just that…well, you're so much more frightening to look at." Cole grumbled as the taller man stepped forward.

"Excuse me, children," he told the twins. "Can I talk to him for a moment?"

The girl appraised him critically before giving her analysis. "You're creepy, mister," she said, before she and her brother headed off to play with other kids, Cole snickering at him.

"Hey, there, kiddo," Vaati said in what he thought was a gentle voice. The boy shuddered. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."

The boy looked up, revealing his masked face. The mask was a durable plaster one, shaped like a skull. It was no wonder the other kids avoided him.

"That's a pretty neat mask. You remember who gave you that mask? Well, we're friends of his." The boy remained silent. This was turning out to be more difficult than Vaati thought. "He's got a really nice place, with lots of neat little toys. And he wants you to come stay with him. He's a really nice guy, and he can get you anything you want! How's that sound?" The boy looked at the senator, his eyes peeking out of the mask in fear. "You want to come with us?"

Slowly, hesitantly, the boy nodded. Vaati sighed in relief. "All right, you have anything here? No? Okay, you want to go right now? Let's go."

The boy stood, nervously grabbing the man's hand, allowing himself to be let out of the room.

"Aw, you're going?" the boy in purple called as he and his sister watched. "Bye, Skull Kid!"

Vaati looked at Cole. "Does anyone even know his name?" The short man shrugged.

The woman behind the counter looked up as they came through the door. "Wait, is he coming with you?"

Cole nodded, peering over the counter. He slapped down a form. "We're picking up for a man. He's adopting."

The woman looked down at the form, looking it over. "Okay, everything seems to be in order…wait, is this signature…?" She looked up at a pictograph on the wall, dumfounded, gesturing at it. The man in the pictograph smiled amiably down, hiding his true intentions.

"It sure is," Vaati answered.

"Wow, the senator himself," she murmured. "That's…wow, after all the work he's done improving these places, he still…wow. He sure does have a heart."

"He sure does," Cole said, trying not to snicker. "Thank you, and goodbye!"

Unnoticed, Senator Zelda Hyrule watched from her car as the three drove off, waiting for them to disappear before driving off.

"So, Navi," Link said, climbing over a pile of rubble, "what can you tell me about this Dodongo guy?"

"Well, actually, it's King Dodongo. He'll be bigger than most other Dodongos. Darunia described him pretty well—big lizard, really scaly and tough. Breathe fire. I really don't know how you'll beat him."

A cave-in had created another dead end. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said, taking out a bomb. "Stand back." The crumbling wall collapsed, creating a hole for them to climb through. He only had half his bombs left now, but he was almost there.

As he stepped through the hole, a laser fired at the ground near him. He leapt back, gasping at the near-miss. "Okay, Navi, what was that?"

"Um…oh! Well, that's probably a Beamos. They're sort of pillars or statues of some kind the Gorons built to fend off intruders. I don't think you'll be able to get close enough, but one of those bombs should do the trick."

"And how do I hit it if I can't see it without it shooting beams of death at me?"

"You could try rolling the bomb."

"Rolling it. Really. That's the dumbest thing I've ever…." He shook his head, then pulled out a bomb, lit it, and rolled it around the corner. After the explosion, he peered around the corner warily. A small pillar was in ruins.

"What did I tell you?" Navi beamed.

"Okay, so it works. It just feels…I don't know, sort of undignified rolling it along the ground."

"You complain too much," Navi said. "Let's go."

They trudged through the cavern, pausing at a statue. "I'm hearing some pretty heavy breathing coming from behind here," Link said, reaching out towards it. "Dodongo must be behind here…."

"Link, don't!" Navi yelled. "That's—" the stone statue creaked beneath his hand, standing up so that it was a full head taller than Link. Behind it was an open door. It was dressed in stone armor, carrying a stone shield and sword. "That's an Armos Knight. A living statue."

Link pulled his sword out in time to barely deflect a blow. The strength the Armos had still sent him flying backwards, slamming against a wall. He rolled to the side as the sword came smashing at him again. Evidently, the stone it was made of was fairly solid, as the sword didn't even chip when it hit the wall.

"Navi, a little help here?" he yelled.

"Bombs! There's no way your sword's gonna do anything!"

"Yeah, okay, distract it or something!"

Navi fumbled with her gun, hastily firing a shot, which bounced harmlessly off of the Armos Knight's helmet. The statue paused a moment in confusion, looking at the little girl who had fired the shot. "Link, don't do this to me again," she said, trembling.

"Hey, big guy!" Link called, bringing the knight's attention back to him. He flicked a tendril of magical flame from his finger, lighting the bomb's fuse. "Don't pick on my guide." He hurled the bomb into its helmeted face, obliterating it entirely. The headless Armos tumbled to the ground, sending a vibration through the cavern floor.

Navi laughed. "All right!" she yelled, giving him a high five. It was the least he could do to accept. He slumped down against the wall and reached into his trench coat pocket, pulling out a cigarette and quickly lighting it.

_Link, you really shouldn't smoke,_ came Aryll's echoed voice in his mind. He had promised to quit for her and Colin, hadn't he? But what was the point? They were gone now. He stood, heading into the room the Armos had been guarding.

"Link? Link!"

"What?" he snapped at the girl.

"Didn't you hear me? You really shouldn't be smoking."

He forced a chuckle. "Why the hell not, Navi? If you hadn't noticed, I've been a bit stressed lately. I really, really need this right now. You worry about living your life, I'll worry about living mine."

"Well, yeah, but…Dodongo dislikes smoke." Link froze, the cigarette falling from his mouth as he saw the giant sleeping lizard-beast. Its eyes opened as he entered, glaring at him angrily. "Dodongo _really_ dislikes smoke."

"Any advice?" Link asked, eyes fixed on Dodongo.

"Run," Navi answered.

Link ran as the beast charged, looking back to make sure Navi was following him. "How do I kill this thing?" he demanded.

"I don't know! You expect me to know everything? If a tribe of Gorons couldn't kill it, what makes you think you can?"

He heard a deep, growling noise behind him, and looked back to see that King Dodongo was inhaling deeply. "Navi, didn't you say something about him breathing fire?"

The girl swore. We're too close! He'll kill us!"

At that moment, a shape flew overhead, landing behind the two of them. They couldn't help but instinctively turn, watching as a small, muscular figure clad in a tight blue outfit held up a hand, creating a magical barrier that deflected the flames. The figure turned, revealing unkempt blonde hair and red eyes looking back at him from behind a masked face. The figure gave a quick nod, and then tilted its head at his bomb bag. As the flames died, the mysterious ninja shot forward, leaping into a somersaulting flip onto the creature's back.

"I think I get it," Navi murmured as the ninja distracted the lizard. "Your sword and my gun aren't going to do anything, so he wants us to use the bombs."

"Well, I've only got three left," Link said. "Better make them count." He charged forward, lighting one of the bombs and tossing it at the creature's underbelly. Dodongo staggered as it went off, throwing the figure on his back off-balance. The ninja shot an angry glare at Link.

"Okay, that didn't work," he muttered.

The masked figure pulled out a flechette, driving it into the creature's snout. As it yowled and thrashed in pain, the ninja threw a hand into Dodongo's open mouth, unleashing a blast of fire into it. The creature roared in pain, tossing the ninja to the ground. Link, understanding what his ally was trying to do, ran forward and lobbed a bomb into the creature's open mouth. The giant lizard unthinkingly swallowed it. A moment later, a muffled explosion was heard, and the Dodongo simply fell over and lay still.

"Is…is it dead?" Navi asked.

Link cautiously examined it. "I think so. And we've got one bomb to spare, too." He pried the fallen creature's mouth open, stuffing the bomb inside. "If he wakes up and tries breathing fire, that one should take care of him."

The ninja stood off to the distance, clenching a small orb on a string in his hand. As Link looked over, he tossed it to him.

"The Pendant of Power," Link murmured, gazing down at it. He looked back up to the masked figure. "Hey, thanks for your help," he said. "Who are you, exactly?"

The ninja reached to his belt, grabbing something and quickly throwing it at Link and Navi's feet. A deku nut. It let off a small flash that would blinded and paralyzed the target for just a few seconds. When the light cleared, the figure was gone.

"Huh," Link muttered. "Navi, who the hell was that guy?"

She shrugged. "You know, I really have no idea."

Link nodded. "Well, let's just hope he's on our side."


	9. Ballad of the Windfish

The boy in the skull mask shook continuously with fear as he sat in the seat. Ganondorf didn't blame him. He was, after all, in unfamiliar surroundings. He was used to a simple life, and now, surrounding him on every side, was grandeur. It was, understandably, a bit much to take in at once.

"Hey there, Skull Kid," he said with a smile, addressing him by the only name anyone knew. "How are you? You remember me? I'm the one who gave you that mask."

The masked face bobbed up and down.

"You've had it hard, haven't you? Well, how about this? Would you like to live with me?"

Again, the mask nodded.

"Well," Ganondorf said, "I'd love to. On one condition. You have to do a few things for me first. You think you can do that?"

The Skull Kid hesitated a moment, before finally nodding once more.

Ganondorf gave the kid his most disarming smile. "I thought you might. Now, here's what I need you to do…."

"Do we really need to be here?" Navi whined.

"Of course we do," Link told her. "Senator Zelda told me that we're meeting our contact backstage."

"But do we really need to sit through the whole concert?"

"Don't you like the Indigo-go's?"

"Not really, no."

He looked at her. "Tough. We got in free, so we're watching the show."

It was the first time he had ever seen the band live. Evan, Tijo, Japas, Lulu, and Mikau…they were all up on the stage. They didn't have very good seats, but he would actually be meeting the band backstage later. He was actually going to meet the Indigo-go's. He couldn't believe it.

He closed his eyes, listening closely to Lulu's voice. When he heard the Zora sing, he could remember _her_ more clearly. More importantly, it wasn't painful when Lulu sang. It somehow managed to bring him peace.

They finished with "New Wave Bossa Nova," quite possibly their most famous song. Navi squinted at him after it ended. "Are you _crying_?" she demanded.

Link shook his head, wiping his eyes on his coat sleeve. "Nah," he said. "Eyes are just a bit dried out. Come on, let's go."

A large, burly Zora wearing a "Security" t-shirt grabbed his shoulder as he pushed through the crowd and approached backstage. "Hey, buddy, you can't go in there," he said.

Link froze. He hadn't really expected anything like this. "I'm…um, We're going to meet the band…."

The Zora chuckled. "Yeah, no you're not."

"It's okay, they're with me," came a female's voice. Link and the security guard turned to see a Zora woman in a black half-shirt and jean shorts, leaning casually on a doorway.

The guard shrugged and let go, going back to standing near the stage and looking intimidating as Link jogged past. Navi followed, rolling her eyes. "You must be Ruto," he said.

She grinned. "Yep. I'm your contact here."

"So can I ask what you do with the band?" he asked as she led them backstage. "Costuming and makeup?"

"I'm on the tech crew, believe it or not."

"Really? Never would have guessed."

"Yeah, it surprises most people when they first hear it. Anyway, I got a tip from Senator Zelda that you'd probably like to meet the band."

"He won't shut up about it," Navi groaned from behind them. Personally, Link found it a bit hypocritical.

"She mentioned something about that, yeah. I still can't believe that I'm actually getting to meet them, though."

"It's all right with them. Senator Zelda and I are good friends. She and my father got along well, and once I become queen of the Zoras, We'll both be senators."

Link looked at her quizzically. "You're going to be queen?"

"Wait, you seriously didn't know who Ruto is?" Navi asked. "Really?"

"Navi, do I look like the sort of person who cares about politics?"

"I'm just saying," she said, shrugging.

Link looked back to Ruto, who was shaking her head and chuckling. "So you're seriously going to be queen someday?"

"Probably. My father's the king of the Zoras, so he's Lake Hylia's senator. I'm first in line for the throne once my father gives it up."

"And…you're doing technical work for a band?"

She shrugged. "I like it. Why shouldn't I do what's fun? Besides, I'm just his daughter. I don't have any sort of power yet."

She stopped at a door. "Well, Link, are you ready to meet the band?"

"No," he said.

She laughed. "Of course you are. They're really great people, and not at all intimidating."

Navi groaned. "Come on, Link, you've faced Ghoma and King Dodongo. I can't believe you're being such a wimp about meeting a band."

Link took a deep breath. "All right, I'm ready." The door opened on the Indigo-go's, casually lounging around. Japas stopped plucking his bass strings and looked up. "This him?" he asked. Ruto nodded.

"Hey, buddy," Mikau said, grinning at him. "Love your hat."

Japas shook his head and returned to playing his bass. "Don't mock him, man."

"No, I'm serious. I kind of like how it looks. Besides, it's green." He looked over at Lulu, who was sitting beside him. "Wouldn't you say that green's my color?"

"Whatever you say, Mikau."

Japas laughed. "Don't you let him think that. His fashion sense is bad enough. Hell, remember that time he tried wearing that skirt at the concert?"

"It was a kilt!"

"Could you guys please keep it down," the piano player asked. "I'm trying to listen to the feedback for the concert."

"Ah, relax, Evan, ya stiff," Mikau groaned.

"Um, guys, the, uh…the guy's still here," Tijo, the drummer, said. "Shouldn't we be, um…talking to him or something?"

Evan nodded, bounding down to shake his hand. "Link, isn't it? Thanks for coming. Ruto's told us that you work for Senator Zelda."

"Something like that, yeah," he said. "I'm…wow. It's—it's just so great to meet you all."

"Well, Ruto insisted.," Mikau told him. "Great girl, Ruto. Don't know where we'd be without her."

Ruto shook her head. "You guys flatter me too much."

"No, seriously, you're—wait, who are you?"

Navi crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "I'm with him," she said, jerking her thumb at Link. "Don't worry about me."

He shrugged. "Anyway, Link, I'm expecting you'd like autographs?"

Link hesitated. "Actually, I have a request. Could…could I play a song with you guys?"

They looked at him a moment. They all still had their instruments out. "I…I suppose," Evan stuttered. "Which one?"

He pulled out his ocarina. "Ballad of the Windfish. I'm pretty sure I've got it down." He was positive he'd got it down, actually. He had managed to learn it and had played it every night since receiving the ocarina. After all, it was their song. It was _her_ song.

He closed his eyes as he played, allowing the memories to wash over him. It was tough, but it was worth it to be with her one more time. For just a few moments, he was back with her, taking walks along the beach, feeding the seagulls. And then, as the music died away, so did the dreams. She was gone again.

"Goodbye, Marin," he whispered to himself.

He shook hands with the band again, then headed outside to meet with Ruto.

"I knew it!" Navi said as he passed her. "You _are_ crying! You're freaking crying!"

"Shut the hell up, Navi," he growled. She froze. "Look, I'll…I'll explain later. I promise. Just…just give me a moment for now. Stay with the band. I'm going to talk with Ruto alone."

As the door shut behind her, she turned awkwardly to the band. They all stared back at her.

"You didn't really like the concert, did you?" Tijo asked.

She hesitated. "Not really, no."

They all shrugged and went back to talking amongst themselves. Evan looked at her. "Excuse me, but what exactly about our performance fell flat?"

"I just don't like jazz."

Evan made a little noise, as if he pitied her for her shallow music tastes, and went back to his keyboard.

"Link," she muttered under her breath, "I am going to _kill_ you for this."

"So, you have a tip for me?" Link asked Ruto once they were outside. "Senator Zelda told me that you had a tip."

"Oh, I have better than that," she said. "Here, follow me."

She led him to a dark room and flipped the lights on. "This is my office."

"You've got an office?"

"Yeah, well, head tech staff and all. We practice here quite a bit, and the band members don't live too far away. Anyway," she said, rummaging through a desk drawer, "here."

She reached in and pulled out a small blue orb on a string. The Pendant of Wisdom.

He stared at her for a moment. "Okay, what's the catch?"

"No catch," she said. "Usually, there should be, and I don't exactly feel right just giving it to you, but Zelda told me herself that it would be better this way."

"Are you sure?"

She led him into the hallway, locking the door behind her. "Of course I am. I trust her." She stopped, looking a few feet down the hall. "Hey, there, kid. Are you lost?"

A small boy turned to face her. The first thing Link noticed was that he wore a skull mask. The second thing he noticed was that he was really, really quick, noticing almost immediately afterwards that he had snatched the Pendant of Wisdom and was halfway down the hall already.

The fourth thing he noticed was the blue-clad ninja, who had appeared out of nowhere and was already hot on the heels of the masked kid.

"Later! Thanks for the help!" he yelled to Ruto as he shot off after them.

Navi looked around the room for the fifth time. The band paid her no notice.

"So, um…I'm gonna head to the bathroom…." she said.

"Two doors down on the left," Mikau said offhandedly.

"Okay, well…see you guys later," she said, slipping quietly out the door. As soon as she was out, she leaned against the wall and sat down hard. "Praise Din," she muttered. "Pretention-free air."

A small kid shot past her, followed by the ninja she and Link had seen while fighting Dodongo.

"What the hell?" she muttered, standing.

"Navi, run!" Link yelled from further down the hall. "Don't let them get away!"

"What the _hell_ is going on?" she demanded as she struggled to keep up. He grabbed her hand, pulling her up onto his back in an impressively fluid motion. "Ow!" she whined. "I landed on your sword!"

Link said nothing. She felt kind of guilty. Whether she was on his back or on foot, she was still slowing him down. He was fast, but not as fast as the kid or the ninja. The two of them slipped through the crowd easily, but she and Link were slowed by the bustle. By the time they pushed through the crowd and made it outside, it was dark, and there was no sight of either person they were pursuing.

"I'm sorry, Link," she said as he set her down.

"It's…it's okay, Navi. I should have known that something like this would go down. We just…we just start from square one again, I suppose." He gave a forced chuckle. "It's not like the goddesses are supposed to be on our side or anything." He kicked a rock on the ground as far as he could. "Of course not. Why the hell would they help us? It's not like they helped Marin. It's not like they helped Aryll and Colin." He fell on all fours and started punctuating his rant by pounding on the ground. "We couldn't just get one stroke of luck now or then, could we?"

She couldn't stand to watch him when he was like this. She had decided to travel with him because he was strong. She had decided to travel with him because he could take anything that was thrown his way. But now, seeing him on the edge of despair? She couldn't watch. She turned away.

"Uh, Link?" He looked up at her. "Um…look." She pointed off. A masked figure appeared out of the darkness. It was the ninja.

Link stood. "What's going on?"

The ninja turned, gesturing for them to follow.

"Okay, question," Link said. "If you're taking us to where the pendant is, why didn't you just bring it here?"

The figure turned, raised blonde eyebrows and annoyed red eyes seeming to say "look, are you going to follow me or not?"

Navi looked up at Link. "Think this counts as a stroke of luck?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet, Navi. But we'll see."


	10. Under the Well

The ninja stopped outside of a well. He looked up at Link and Navi, then nodded down the stone shaft.

"You're kidding, right?" Link said.

The ninja shook his head, taking Link's hand and pressing a small object into it. It looked like a small magnifying glass.

"How do we know we can trust you?" He asked. "You've helped us, yeah, but how do we know you're on our side?" The ninja just stood there, glaring at him with those steely red eyes. "I mean, you don't even talk. Can you even talk?"

He nodded slowly.

"Well, then, say something! Tell us who the hell you are! Seriously, at least tell me your name."

The ninja thought a moment before shaking his head. He pointed down the well once more, then bounded off into the night.

"Wait, you're not going to stick around to help us?" The retreating figure didn't even look back.

Navi shrugged. "Guess not," she said. "Think we can trust him?"

"We have no choice," Link said, examining the lens the ninja had handed him. "He seems to have some sense of what's going on. I just really hope he's on our side."

He started down the well ladder, Navi following him. The well was surprisingly well-lit. He wouldn't have expected the small electrical lights lining the wall. He reached the bottom and turned to look down the long hallway at the bottom.

Something dawned on him. The lights and hallway wouldn't be here if it was just a mere well. Wells didn't have the stone structure anymore, and they had never been designed with electrical lights or hallways. This was no well. This was something far more important.

"I think this is a sealing chamber," Navi said quietly. "Someone locked something down here." She looked at Link. "By the way, what exactly was that that he gave you?"

Link pulled out the lens and looked through it. "Not sure. I dunno, it just makes everything look a different color. Sort of a purple tint." He stuffed it back into his pocket. "I have no clue why he gave it to me."

They approached a door at the end of the hallway, a tattered scrap of paper attached to it. "Yeah," Navi said, examining the paper, "that's definitely a seal. I really don't think we should trust this guy, Link. I mean, it looks like he's telling you to break the seal."

Link looked back down the hallway. There was nothing else there. Just the well, the hall, and the door. "Yeah, looks that way."

"So now what?"

Link thought a moment. "Well, he helped us against Dodongo. I think I'm going to take a chance with this one." He drew his sword and kicked the door open. Navi swore and jumped back.

He slowly started into the room, looking around carefully. They were in a large, dimly lit chamber. The door behind them was the only portal in or out. Navi pushed out from behind him, stepping forward in confusion. "There's nothing here," she said.

"Yeah, guess the seal was old or something. It was probably some sort of test of loyalty."

"I just don't get it," she said. A moment later, she screamed as she was lifted into the air by some unseen force.

"Navi!" Link yelled in shock. He darted forward before freezing. How could he face an enemy he couldn't see?

"Link, something's got me!" she called, struggling against invisible bonds of some sort. "It's like a giant hand is squeezing me!"

"Just calm down, Navi!" he called to her. Even as he yelled it, though, he knew he was being hypocritical. It was impossible for either of them to be calm. The mysterious ninja had betrayed them and led them straight into a trap.

He stepped towards Navi cautiously, sword raised before him. He couldn't see what had her, but he at least knew the general direction.

That's when something slammed into him from behind. He swore. Whatever was down here, there was more than one of them. He turned and swung wildly at whatever had knocked him to the ground, his sword meeting no resistance. He was hitting nothing.

The force hit him from the side this time, sending him sprawling. His sword flew from his hand, clattering on the ground. He groaned and reached out for it, his hand landing on something. He grasped it instinctively, and found that it was the small lens the ninja had given him. _Wait, is this the key?_ he thought, picking up his sword with his left hand. Maybe the ninja gave him the lens for a reason.

He peered through it, seeing immediately what he had not been able to before. A giant, wormlike body with a face consisting entirely of an eye looked back at him. A giant disembodied hand clutched Navi. The other….

He turned, lashing out at the hand approaching behind him. His blade slashed it across the palm. The appendage started writing in pain. He looked back at the main body of the creature. It looked back, suddenly nervous.

"Link!" Navi gasped. "Link, it's squeezing me!"

Link felt the heat of the two pendants around his neck as he charged forward. With a yell, he threw the sword as hard as he could. Through sheer luck, or perhaps divine providence, the tip pierced the giant eye perfectly. The body tossed its neck back, and the giant hand clutching Navi released its grip. Link was prepared, and managed to catch her now-unconscious body. He set her on the ground, waited for the creature to stop writhing, and yanked his sword out the body.

He wiped his sword off and turned back to check on Navi. The blue-clad ninja had materialized beside her. Dangling from his fist, at the end of his outstretched arm, was a small, blue orb.

The ninja tossed the Pendant of Wisdom to him, and he caught it. He slipped it around his neck, careful not to let his eyes off the masked figure. "Thanks, I guess," he said, slipping around to the chamber's door. "But seriously, who the hell are you? I'm really starting to wonder if I can trust you."

The mysterious man, in a quick motion, cast another deku nut at Link's feet. A second later, he felt a strong wind inside the chamber, and when his vision cleared, the ninja was gone. There was no way he could have gotten past Link with him blocking the door. He would have noticed. It was like he had simply vanished into thin air. Link groaned and hurried over to Navi. Wedged in the ground by the unconscious girl was a flechette, pinning a scrap of paper to the floor. Link ripped it off and read it.

_Link,_

_I am Sheik, the last of the Sheikah ninjas. I know that you feel you cannot trust me. That is understandable. You wonder how I keep finding you. That is also understandable. Let's just say that I have access to information from Senator Zelda, and that's really all I can say at this moment._

_You have all the pendants now, so the obvious next step is to visit the Temple of Time. I know you have maps there, and your guide could probably find it easily anyway. However, after you finish there, it is essential that you visit a place called the Happy Mask Shop. The owner will explain._

On the back was scrawled a crude map from the Temple of Time to the Happy Mask Shop. Link stared at the note, even less sure that he should trust Sheik.

At his feet, Navi stirred. "By Farore!" she gasped as she sat up. "Thanks, Link, I was sure I was a goner. Man, I just wish I could have seen how you beat that thing."

"Well, I could see it using that lens the ninja gave me. And then I threw my sword into its face." He grinned. "It was pretty cool."

"Sounds pretty cool, yeah. Did you get the Pendant of Wisdom?"

Link held it up. "That ninja gave it to me. Here, check this out." He showed her the note.

"Whoa!" she yelped in glee. "He's a Sheikah? That's awesome! I've only ever read about them! I didn't know they were still around!"

"Yeah, well, it sounds like he's the last one. For now, at least."

She shook her head. "Man, that's just so cool! So, Temple of Time?"

He nodded. "Temple of Time. I think I'm finally ready for the Master Sword."

A phone rang. The bald man who owned it sighed in annoyance, picking up the receiver with a gloved hand. "Yes?"

"I was just calling to check on your progress," came the voice on the other end. "Senator Zelda really must be taken care of quickly, before she catches on to me."

Sakon smiled. His employer. "Of course, Senator Ganondorf. I believe you will be happy to learn that I have set up a…shall we say a 'date' with the senator tonight."

Ganondorf chuckled. "Cole certainly did well to stumble across you."

"I'm happy with him. He finds fun games for me to play."

"Games, huh? Well, I certainly hope you beat the senator tonight," the man said.

"Of course," Sakon replied. "After all, I have never lost."

Link and Navi stood staring up at the cathedral before them. "So this is the Temple of Time, huh?" Link said.

"You bet," Navi responded. "The largest and oldest temple to Nayru, and the rumored resting place of the Master Sword."

Link nodded and pulled open one of the giant double doors, slipping quietly inside. He had no idea what to expect anymore.

He had no sooner entered than a large man near the front of the temple turned. "Link!" he called out. Link looked around. There was no one else in the temple, so the man had to be talking to him. "Link, we've been waiting for you! My name is Rauru, Sage of Light. Follow me. I'll lead you to the others."

"How do you know my name," Link asked.

Rauru chuckled. "I'm a sage. I have almost unlimited knowledge and wisdom."

Link felt like that wasn't the only answer. He looked at the man more closely. Something about him seemed strangely familiar. "Do I know you?" Link asked. "I feel like we've met before."

Rauru nodded. "We have indeed."

"When? I don't quite remember."

Rauru shook his head. "No, of course you don't. I'm sorry, Link. That's my fault. I know you don't remember anything beyond waking up with that sword you have there, on the streets, left to fend for yourself. I really wish it didn't have to be that way, but abandoning you was the only way to keep Ganon from finding you. I had hoped all your memories would have been gone, but it seems you can still recognize those closest to you."

Link stopped walking. This man knew his past. He knew why Link had come from, and how he had ended up on the streets. More importantly, it seemed like he was the cause for at least some of it. "Who _are_ you?" he asked.

Rauru sighed. "Part of me had hoped to avoid this question. Another part has been waiting for you to ask it for years." The sage took a deep breath, turned to face him, and spread his arms wide. "Link…I'm your father."


	11. Link's Legacy

"…My father?"

"That's right, Link," Rauru said.

Link grasped for words. "You're not my father!" he finally managed to furiously spit. "I don't have a father! If you really are my father, where have you been these past seven years?"

Navi looked around awkwardly. "You know, I think I'm, um…gonna check out this temple a bit more. Alone. Call for me when you're done with…erm…whatever it is…." She shuffled away, looking everywhere but at them.

Rauru hung his head. "You're right. I have no right to call myself your father, or to call you my son. All you've accomplished, you've accomplished on your own."

"Yeah, you're damn right I have."

"But hear me out, Link. I had no choice. I wish," he said, wrinkled eyes starting to tear up, "that I had been able to be there for you. I wish I hadn't had to abandon you. But I had no choice."

"There's always a choice."

"There is," Rauru agreed. "However, in this case, as much as it pains me to say it, the choice that would have made you happy would have been the wrong one." He turned, motioning for Link to follow. "I am a sage. I recognized who you were instantly. I knew what your destiny would be. And I tried everything I could to avoid it. I tried to raise you like a normal child. But it was inevitable. If I kept you as my son, Ganondorf would have eventually found you. And so, to hide you, I took your past from you and bound myself to the Temple of Time."

Link was quiet for a few seconds. "What's my real name?" he finally asked.

"It's Link. As much as I wanted it to be otherwise, it is who you are."

"No, I mean the name you gave me."

Rauru chuckled. "Kasuto. A dumb name, really. You don't really look like a Kasuto at all. But I guess I was hoping that, if you were named something else, you would actually grow up to be Kasuto instead of Link. An idiotic idea."

"That's not true," Link said. "I think I would have been perfectly happy as a Kasuto."

Rauru stopped again to face him. "Would you?" he asked. "Face it, my boy, you have the heart of a warrior. You never would have been satisfied living a normal life. You're a fighter, Link."

Link shook his head. "That's not true," he said. "It's not true."

"Just answer one question for me," the wizened sage said. "If you want to be normal so bad, why are you here?"

"Because Senator Zelda asked for my help."

"And why did you accept?" Link stood dumb. "As I thought," he said. "Come on. I know that there is one more question you're dying to ask. I'll take you to the Master Sword's pedestal."

Link followed him in silence. The man looked back. "Aren't you going to ask it?"

"No. I already know. You gave me the sword so that I would be ready to wield the Master Sword when the time came."

Rauru nodded. "Very good. Of course, there's a bit more to it." He halted in front of a giant stone door marked with the same symbol that was on the back of Link's hand. "Present the three pendants."

Link looked at the old man, who nodded towards the door. He cautiously removed the three orbs from around his neck and held them out. The hall around them seemed to shake, and a brilliant light burst from the symbol on the door. Slowly, the stone doors slid inward, revealing the room inside.

Atop a set of steps was a white stone pedestal, engraved with the same symbol. The pedestal stood out partially because of the engraved symbol, and partially because of something else.

It was empty.

"The…the sword's gone," he murmured.

"Not quite," Rauru said. "Show me your sword, Link."

Link obliged, freezing as soon as he felt the handle. "My sword…it's…it's the…?" He pulled the sword out the rest of the way, examining it as he held it ahead of him. The entire hilt had changed, becoming a bit more ornate and changing to a shade of purple. The blade was no longer battle-scarred, but brilliant and shining, almost as if it had a holy glow around it. Before, the sword had felt comfortable, like it was made for him. Now, however, as he held the Master Sword in his hand, he realized that it was also the other way around—he was made for the sword.

"It's…it's beautiful," he whispered. "I've had it the entire time?"

"Not in that form, no," Rauru said. But it can recognize when a hero holds it. You've gathered the three pendants. You've passed its test. And now, the Master Sword has granted you its power."

Link wiped away tears forming at the edges of his eyes. "You're right. It's…this is _right._ I understand who I am now." He raised the sword, face steeled with determination. "I am a tool of the goddesses! I am the avatar of courage!" he declared. "I am the hero of legend!"

Rauru nodded. "There are few things to do now before you are ready to face Ganondorf."

Link nodded, sheathing the Master Sword. "Yeah. I know what has to be done. I'm starting to remember."

"There's not much time."

"I know. Navi and I have some things to do." He turned back to Rauru. "Bye…Dad. I'll come back when all this is over."

Rauru nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Senator Zelda Hyrule walked through the alleyway, heels clacking on the pavement. Normally she would have avoided such a stupid move at all costs. But she had been working late, and the streets were empty. She knew someone had been following her, and now would be the perfect time for an ambush. At least in an alley, she had a better chance of preventing it.

She glanced back. No one. She looked back ahead, starting to walk again, throwing occasional glances over her shoulder.

A figure dropped down in front of her in the alley. Of course. She had forgotten about attacks from above.

"Hello, senator," came the dark figure's cheerful voice, his face masked by shadow. "Fancy meeting you in a place like this. Are you lost, by any chance?"

The senator fell into a fighting stance. She had learned some of the Sheikah martial arts from Impa, and knew how to defend herself. "This won't be easy for you," she said.

The man grinned, the moonlight glinting off his ebony teeth. "I hope you're right," he said. "It's always boring when it's easy. I've been very bored lately."

"So this is the mask shop, huh?" Navi mused. "Really doesn't look like much."

"Look," Link said, "let's just get this over with."

"You think that Sheik guy was telling the truth?"

"I really hope so." He pushed through the door. "Hey," he said, "I'm here about some sort of emergency."

"Oh, thank the goddesses!" the man at the counter said. He looked up, a grin on his face that wasn't quite right. Something about the grin just felt menacing. It made Link uneasy.

"Yeah, so, um…what's going on?"

"Well, I've had a mask stolen from me—"

"Let's go, Navi," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait, you don't understand," he said. "This isn't just some toy mask. It's filled with incredible power!"

Link paused, turning back to the smiling man. "You've got one minute," he said. "Make it worth my time."

The salesman started explaining how his mask had been stolen. It was his eyes, Link decided. His emotion came through his eyes, even if the happy grin never left his face. The man was saying something about a talisman of evil or something. Link shuddered as he watched him. That _grin_. It just wasn't natural to look that happy when talking about a theft. "And now," the mask salesman continued, "it has been stolen…stolen by a boy in a skull mask…."

Link held up his hand, suddenly listening. "Wait, what did you say? A skull mask?"

"Yes, a young boy wearing a skull mask. He was about this tall…." As the man went on, Link turned to Navi.

"That's the kid who swiped the Pendant of Wisdom earlier," he said. "This could just turn out to be a dead end, but it could really be big."

He turned back to the Happy Mask Salesman. "Okay, you've caught my attention. Why don't you explain to me just what's going on?"

Senator Zelda's assailant took a step forward, a knife appearing in his hand. He was fast, she realized. She hadn't even seen him reach for the blade. Nevertheless, she had to keep her cool.

"Let's have some fun, senator," the man said. "Do you want to play tag? I'll give you a ten second head start."

She leapt forward, throwing a punch at him. He swiftly sidestepped and clonked her on the back of the head with the dagger pommel as she passed. "So you want to fight, do you?" He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Not a very smart choice. But if you insist…." He reached down, lifting her by the neck. She kicked out at him, struggling for air, but he nimbly dodged every attack. "I like games like this," he said. "Watching people on the border of life and death—you really get to learn a lot about them." She grasped at his hands, trying to pry them from her neck. "Oh, don't worry," he said, throwing her to the ground. "I'm not going to kill you just yet. He leaned in close, grinning at her. "I don't get to see you bleed if I strangle you to death. It's always so fun to watch people bleed, don't you think?"

Zelda brought her feet up and shoved him back hard, flipping up to her feet and whipping off her senatorial cloak. Underneath, she was dressed in a more tight-fitting outfit, a combat-ready one. She slipped quickly out of her heels, facing the grinning psychopathic assassin. "I'm not the frail woman you think I am," she told him.

The assassin chuckled. "I never thought you were. But that doesn't change the fact that you have no chance."

She narrowed her eyes. "We'll see."

The man darted forward, thrusting the knife at her. Unrestricted by the robe, she managed to dodge it and knock his hand downward. She managed to parry most of his attacks, even if he was driving her backward. The alley had been a good choice; it was clear his motion was impeded.

The assassin stopped, taking a step back. She didn't know what was going on, but she prepared for another attack. He charged at her, but instead of attacking, jumped at the narrow alley wall, jumping from wall to wall to propel himself over her head. The maneuver caught her off guard, and she turned just in time for the blade to graze her cheek.

He licked the blade as she fell backwards. "My, senator, your blood certainly does taste delicious. A very noble-tasting sort of blood. A pity I have to drain you of it."

She didn't have the time or balance to stand. All she could do was scurry backwards as he walked closer. "It was fun playing with you. But I don't like it when games drag on for too long. Nothing personal, but I think it's about time for me to win." He flicked out the knife again, preparing a final strike. "Goodbye, Senator Hy…."

Her name died into a strangled wheeze. The assassin staggered a bit, before toppling forward into the ground. As he struggled, she caught a glint of metal in the moonlight—a flechette lodged in his jugular.

Zelda slowly turned around as a figure stepped into a shaft of moonlight. The dark suit made the figure still barely visible, and Zelda could only make out a lock of blonde hair dangling from behind the ninja's mask.

"Thank you," she said, pulling herself to her feet. She touched her cheek gingerly where the knife has cut you. "I owe you my life. Is there any way I can repay you?"

The ninja shook his head.

"Well, thank you, either way. Who are you, exactly?"

The ninja stared at her for a moment. "I am Sheik," a hoarse voice replied. Then the ninja sprung over her head, wall-jumping to the top of the building and disappearing from sight.

END ACT 1


	12. Act 1 Interlude

So, here's the Act 1 interlude. For this interlude, I'm doing some FAQs (of course, I don't really get asked questions, so it's basically the questions I would like to know if I were a reader) and a bit of behind-the-scenes stuff. So, on to the FAQ:

Q: Why did you choose the modern setting? What are your influences?

A: I just thought it would be fun. The project was inspired sort of partially by the TV Tropes title "The Urban Legend of Zelda" (though the trope itself is quite different) and partially by a April Fool's joke hinting at a modern/futuristic Zelda.

My biggest influence was primarily just "There Will Be Brawl," but I also drew heavily from all the games in the Zelda series. Since starting it, I have read the Stephen Crane novel Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, and that will probably influence it when I work on it in the future.

Q: Why does this suck so much?

A: Because I don't write fanfiction. I write original fiction. I don't know how to write for the fanfiction crowd, and originally misjudged all ficcers as the "ZOMG AWESOME!" sort of crowd. As a result, some things in the beginning are a bit over-the-top. On top of that, it was just something I fun project to help develop my style before I work on some more serious stuff. As of now, I'm pretty disappointed with it. It's nowhere near what I had originally envisioned. That's because I was more concerned about getting the story out than going into detail. As I got further along, more details were added, more ideas were had, and there's a lot of background info that's not in the story at this moment. This is essentially the abridged version of what I'd like to do with it. Look forward to a huge rewrite in the future. A lot's going to change. Probably even the title.

Q: How long will this story be?

A: I'm aiming for three acts of about ten chapters each (excluding the prologue and the interludes). I have the first two acts planned out, but I haven't even started on the Third.

Q: Will [insert favorite character here] appear?

A: Best I can give is a maybe. I want to include as many characters as possible, but I don't want to shoehorn anyone in. I will say that Anju and Kafei play a big part in Act 2, and that I'd like to at least include all of the Ocarina of Time sages. I can also say not to hold your breath for Medli, as I have absolutely no idea what to do with the Rito.

Q: I don't like what you did with [insert favorite character here].

A: All I can say is "tough." If you want to write your own fanfiction and do it differently, you're more than welcome. However, I'm interpreting characters in a way that works for me and for my story.

Q: But you made Malon a total—

A: Yeah, you can go ahead and stop right there. I know. I originally had her as just flirtatious and suggestive, but due to an alternate, more "adult" version of that scene floating in my head, she came across as a bit more…forward.

Q: There's an adult version of that scene? Where can I find it?

A: No, there's not. That was a typo. Next question, please.

Q: But if it was a typo, why didn't you just correct—

A: Next question, please.

Q: Have you read "The Legend of Zelda: Exoria" by Sudentor?

A: No, I have not. I was a few chapters into my story when I first heard about it, and while I _have_ read the first chapter, I won't read the rest for a while, just because I don't want to somehow become influenced by it. It's another modern Zelda fic, but it's done quite differently from mine. From the bit I know about it, it sounds like it's got many more original characters (and even an original country or two), and he's probably got a much better grasp of politics than me. While I can say that I don't particularly like the writing style, that's just because my own writing style is so vastly different. I can tell that it's a very well-written story, and it's definitely worth checking out.

Q: Why don't you have page breaks between POV shifts?

A: Because I'm evidently stupid and don't know how to run . When I write the chapters, I do put an asterisk or three between breaks, but they evidently disappear when it gets posted. If anyone can message me telling me how to fix it, that'd be great. If not, I'll try figuring it out on my own. The reason I didn't really check is because I'm much more used to posting my work on forums, and assumed it would work the same way. Guess not. Whoops. I'll go back and try to edit them.

Q: Why does Impa have a Russian accent?

A: Have you seen her OoT incarnation? Seriously, I can't imagine her speaking in anything but.

Q: Oh, hey, it's Sheik. Gee, I wonder who this could possibly—wait, Sheik's _not_ Zelda?

A: I really wanted to include Sheik, as she's (yes, she. Zelda most certainly does not become a male) such a cool and beloved character. However, pretty much everyone knows that Sheik is Zelda (apologies to those of you who have somehow managed to avoid both Ocarina of Time _and_ Super Smash Bros.), and I wanted to retain the twist…in this case, Sheik _not_ being Zelda. Which was also probably expected by quite a few of you. I can't say yet whether Sheik is male or female, or even if he/she is ultimately a friend or a foe, but I will say that he/she is, in fact, an existing Legend of Zelda character. Of course, I'm sure that some of you have already correctly guessed who Sheik is, but let's keep it a secret for now, shall we?

Q: Why does Link use a sword? Why not a gun, or even a gunsword like in Final Fantasy or Exoria? (Note: I have not read Exoria beyond the first chapter, but I do know just a few details. Like Link using a gunsword for example.)

A: Some people think that it'd work to give Link a gun. I personally disagree. Sure, I could see him using a gun in a modern setting, but I think he'd still have the sword, just because it's so integral to his character. It's important to his character in the games, so it's important to his character here.

Q: Are there any references you wish people got that you think they missed?

A: To avoid both tooting my own horn and ruining the joke entirely, I'm just going to say "yes" and let you hunt for them. I love catching subtle references when I read or watch something, so it's fun to work them into my own story.

Q: Are the characters from a specific game?

A: Yes and no. It really varies from character to character, and I'll go into the basis for most of the characters in a later Interlude. Essentially, it all depends. On one hand, you've got Zelda, who's very strongly based off of her Twilight Princess incarnation. On the other, you've got Link, who's not based off of any game in particular. Characters tend to be either carbon copies of game counterpart (e.g. Zelda), archetypes that seem to fit the character well (e.g. Navi as a guide and plucky sidekick), or reinterpretations based off of the settings (e.g. Talon/Malon or the Kokiri).

Q: Politics do not work that way!

A: That's not a question, but it is a valid point. My political views can probably best be described as "don't get involved." I don't really have an in-depth understanding of politics, and I really don't care to. I follow laws unless they interfere with my religious beliefs, and the government in turn ignores me and lets me seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's a system that works pretty well for me. Unfortunately, it means that I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to writing about politics.

Either way, the system is entirely fictional. I use the term "senator," but in reality, it's just a title that people will recognize as "someone who has approximately equal power to politicians with the same title." Kind of like how it's always "Princess" Zelda, even if she appears to be the only royal in Hyrule. It's a title people recognize.

My "senators" are really just sort of representatives. Each senator is a leader from each Hylian group, whether they're elected or came to power otherwise. For example, Zelda would be the senator from Castle Town, Ganondorf would be the senator from the Gerudo Valley, and Darunia the senator of the Kakariko Gorons. They all meet together in councils where they decide what needs to be done to better Hyrule. So really, in a sense, they _are_ quite a bit like Senators. Of course, in addition to this overlying political system, each territory/province/town/culture has its own governing system. The Zoras have monarchies, the Gorons have chosen tribal leaders, and the Gerudo just automatically elect whoever is born male (unless there are no males, in which case, they'd probably be tribal like the Gorons).

And finally:

Q: Why did it take so long to write up this stupid Q&A thing? It's been about a month since you've posted something, and it's _this_?

A: Well, the plan was to post this before November and then announce that I'd be working on National Novel Writing Month. Of course, that sort of fell through, and I got busy, and didn't come back to this because, well, if I didn't have time for NaNoWriMo, I certainly didn't have time for this. And I probably won't be working on it anymore for a few weeks, because finals are coming up, and I have to study. Once Christmas Break comes, though, I'll be working on it again. I'll be resuming with the "abridged," but if you like the first part, you'll probably like the second part.


End file.
